Contents reproducing method and device for reproducing contents on recording medium

ABSTRACT

A disc drive ( 80 ), camera ( 50 ) and a server ( 60 ) are connected to one another via a communication network ( 110 ) to make data communications between them. The disc drive ( 80 ) plays back a disc ( 90 ) to reproduce a recorded picture, combines the picture and a real-time world view supplied from the camera ( 50 ) based on an address table managed by the server ( 60 ) to produce a synthetic picture data, and outputs it to outside. For example, a recorded picture reproduced from the disc ( 90 ) and real-time world view taken by the camera ( 50 ) are combined to synthesize an picture. Thus, a content recorded in a recording medium can be used to produce a synthetic picture data.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a content reproducingtechnology, and more particularly to a method of, and apparatuses for,reproducing a content recorded in a recording medium, content arecording medium, content server and a content reproducing system.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Recently, recording media having recorded therein contents suchas movie, music, sports and the like have become widely prevalent. Aconsumer (will be referred to as “user” hereunder) buys such a recordingmedium having his or her favorite content recorded therein, and plays itin his player in the home or like to reproducing the content for viewingor listening. Also, by data communications via a communication networksuch as Internet, the user can instantly access various remote sites,home or abroad. Namely, while staying home for example, the user can getinformation in real time from such a remote site.

[0003] Thus the user can get a variety of information by playing back arecording medium or through data communications via the communicationnetwork. It is currently desired that a useful content should beproduced based on information thus obtainable using such means.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0004] To implement the above, the present invention has an object topermit to produce an output data based on a content such as video data,and video data, for example, having already been acquired by aninformation acquisition apparatus.

[0005] The above object can be attained by providing a recording mediumhaving recorded therein a content, and link information according towhich access is made to an information acquisition apparatuscorresponding to the content.

[0006] Also, the above object can be attained by providing a recordingmedium having recorded therein a content, and output-processingidentification information indicating that all or a part of data formingthe content are output-processed along with data from a predeterminedinformation acquisition apparatus.

[0007] Also, the above object can be attained by providing a recordingmedium having recorded therein a content, and operation controlinformation under which operations of an information acquisitionapparatus corresponding to the content are controlled.

[0008] Also, the above object can be attained by providing a recordingmedium having recorded therein a content, and retrieval informationaccording to which access is made to an information acquisitionapparatus corresponding to the content.

[0009] In the above recording media, the link information is intendedfor use to make data communications, via a communication network, with aserver which manages address information of the information acquisitionapparatus. Alternatively, the link information is used to make datacommunications with the information acquisition apparatus via acommunication network. The content is composed of time-series data. Inthis case, the operation control information is recorded correspondinglyto a segment defined by, dividing the content at each lapse of a time.The retrieval information is a keyword or weather information,corresponding to details of a content.

[0010] Also, the above object can be attained by providing a reproducingapparatus including a reproducing means for reproducing a content, acommunication means for making data communications with an informationacquisition apparatus capable of communications via a communicationnetwork, and a data output-processing means for producing third databased on the first data reproduced by the reproducing means and thesecond data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus, andoutputting the third data. The data output-processing means combinestogether the first data and the second data to produce the third data.Also, the reproducing means reproduces a content recorded in a recordingmedium therein. Also, the reproducing means reproduces a contentdownloaded via the communication network.

[0011] In the above reproducing apparatus, the communication means isdesigned to make data communications with a data server capable ofcommunications via the communication network while making datacommunications with the information acquisition apparatus based on anaddress table in which a content sent from the server and addressinformation of the information acquisition apparatus are correlated witheach other. Alternatively, the reproducing apparatus is provided with areading means for reading, from a recording medium loaded therein, theaddress data in which the content and address information of theinformation acquisition apparatus are correlated with each other, andthus can make data communications with the information acquisitionapparatus based on the address table read by the reading means from therecording medium. Alternatively, the communication means is designed tomake data communications with the server capable of communications viathe communication network while making also data communications with theinformation acquisition apparatus under the control of the data server.

[0012] In the above cases, there is provided a detecting means fordetecting output-processing identification information included in acontent or stored in the address table, and the data output-processingmeans produces third data based on first and second data according tothe output-processing information detected by the detecting means. Also,there is provided a detecting means for detecting operation controlinformation included in a content or address table, and thecommunication means can thus send the operation control informationdetected by the detecting means to the information acquisitionapparatus. It is assumed that in case the content is a one composed oftime-series data, the operation control information corresponds to asegment defined by dividing the content at each lapse of a time. Also,there is provided an operating means for entering address informationintended for use to make data communications with the informationacquisition apparatus.

[0013] When the data server retrieves the address table, thecommunication means sends retrieval information to the data server. Theretrieval information is assumed to be ID information for a content, akeyword or weather information, corresponding to details of a content,or a current time.

[0014] Also the reproducing apparatus includes a storage means forstoring the address table send from the data server when the serverreceives the address table. Alternatively, the reproducing apparatusincludes a recording or writing means for recording, to a recordingmedium from which the reproducing means is going to reproduce a content,the address table sent from the server and in which a content andaddress information of the information acquisition apparatus arecorrelated with each other. In these cases, there are further provided acomparison means for making comparison between update information forthe address table sent from the server and update information for theaddress table recorded in the storage means or in a recording medium,means for requesting the server for sending the address table, and anupdating means for updating the address table recorded in the storagemeans or in a recording medium based on the address table sent from theserver.

[0015] The reproducing means is designed to reproduce a content recordedin a recording medium loaded therein, and the communication means is tomake data communications with the server when a recording medium isloaded in the reproducing means.

[0016] The communication means is designed to make data communicationsaccording to address information included in the address table beforethe reproducing means starts reproducing a content. Alternatively, thecommunication means is designed to make data communications according toaddress information whenever necessary depending upon a content beingreproduced after the reproducing means starts reproducing the content.

[0017] Also, there are provided a time-keeping means for keeping thecurrent time, and means for setting a pointer for the address table.

[0018] Also, the above object can be attained by providing a serverincluding a communication means for making data communications with areproducing apparatus capable of data communications via a communicationnetwork, a storage means having stored therein an address table in whicha content reproducible by the reproducing apparatus and addressinformation on an information acquisition apparatus capable of datacommunications with the reproducing apparatus via a network arecorrelated with each other, and a control means for retrieving theaddress table according to retrieval information sent from thereproducing apparatus and causing the communication means to send theretrieved address table to the reproducing apparatus. Alternatively, theabove object can be attained by providing a server including, acommunication means for making data communications with a reproducingapparatus capable of data communications via a communication network, astorage means having stored therein the address table in which a contentreproducible by the reproducing means and address information on aninformation acquisition apparatus capable of data communications withthe reproducing apparatus via a network are correlated with each other,and a control means for retrieving the address table according toretrieval information sent from the reproducing apparatus andcontrolling communications between the reproducing apparatus andinformation acquisition apparatus based on the retrieved address table.

[0019] In the servers constructed as above, the retrieval information isassumed to be ID information corresponding to a content, keyword orweather information, corresponding to details of a content. Also, in theaddress table, there are recorded operation control information underwhich operations of the information acquisition apparatus are controlledin correlation with address information. Also in the address table,there are recorded output-processing identification information intendedfor use to make output-processing of the first data reproduced by thereproducing apparatus in correlation with the address information andthe second data outputted from the information acquisition apparatus.

[0020] Also, the above object can be attained by providing a reproducingmethod including steps of reproducing a content, making datacommunications with an information acquisition apparatus via acommunication network, and producing the third data based on the firstdata reproduced in the reproducing step and the second data suppliedfrom the information acquisition apparatus in the communication step,and outputting the third data. In the data output-processing step, thefirst data and the second data are combined together to produce thethird data. Also, there is included a step of detectingoutput-processing identification information corresponding to a content,and in the data output-processing step, the third data is produced basedon both the first data and the second data. Also, there is included astep of detecting operation control information corresponding to acontent, and in the communicating step, the operation controlinformation is sent to the information acquisition apparatus. It isassumed that in case the content is a one composed of time-series data,the operation control information corresponds to a segment defined bydividing the content at each lapse of a time. Also, there is included astep of entering address information intended for use to make datacommunications with the information acquisition apparatus. In thereproducing step, there is reproduced a content recorded in a loadedrecording medium or a content downloaded via a communication network.

[0021] Also, in the communication step, data communications can be madewith a server capable of communications via a communication network, anddata communications are made with the information acquisition apparatusbased on an address table sent from a server and in which a content andaddress information of the information acquisition apparatus arecorrelated with each other. Alternatively, there is included a step ofreading, from the loaded recording medium, the address table in which acontent and address information of the information acquisition apparatusare correlated with each other, and in the communication step, datacommunications are made with the information acquisition apparatus basedon the address table read from the recording medium in the reading step.Alternatively, in the communication step, data communications can bemade with the server via the communication network, and datacommunications are made with the information acquisition apparatus underthe control of the server.

[0022] Also, the above object can be attained by providing a reproducingsystem in which data communications can be done between a reproducingapparatus and information acquisition apparatus, wherein the reproducingapparatus includes a reproducing means for reproducing a content, acommunication means for making data communications with an informationacquisition apparatus capable of communications via a communicationnetwork, and a data output-processing means for producing third databased on first data reproduced by the reproducing means and second datasupplied from the information acquisition apparatus, and outputting thethird data, and the information acquisition apparatus includes means foracquiring information, a communication means for making datacommunications with the reproducing apparatus via a communicationnetwork, and a control means for causing the communication means to sendinformation acquired by the information acquisition means to thereproducing apparatus.

[0023] Also, the above object can be attained by providing a reproducingsystem in which data communications can be made among a reproducingapparatus, information acquisition apparatus and a server, wherein thereproducing apparatus includes, a reproducing means for reproducing acontent, a communication means for making data communications with aninformation acquisition apparatus capable of communications via acommunication network, and a data output-processing means for producingthe third data based on the first data reproduced by the reproducingmeans and the second data supplied from the information acquisitionapparatus, and outputting the third data; the information acquisitionapparatus includes means for acquiring information, a communicationmeans for making data communications with the reproducing apparatus viaa communication network, and control means for causing the communicationmeans to send information acquired by the information acquisition meansto the reproducing apparatus; and the server includes a communicationmeans for making data communications with a reproducing apparatuscapable of data communications via a communication network, a storagemeans having stored therein the address table in which a contentreproducible by the reproducing apparatus and address information on aninformation acquisition apparatus capable of data communications withthe reproducing apparatus via a network are correlated with each other,and a control means for retrieving the address table according toretrieval information sent from the reproducing apparatus and causingthe communication means to send the retrieved address table to thereproducing apparatus.

[0024] Also, the above object can be attained by providing a reproducingsystem in which data communications can be made among a reproducingapparatus, information acquisition apparatus and a server, wherein thereproducing apparatus includes a reproducing means for reproducing acontent, a communication means for making data communications with aninformation acquisition apparatus capable of communications via acommunication network, and a data output-processing means for producingthird data based on first data reproduced by the reproducing means andsecond data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus, andoutputting the third data; the information acquisition apparatusincludes means for acquiring information, a communication means formaking data communications with the reproducing apparatus via acommunication network, and a control means for causing the communicationmeans to send information acquired by the information acquisition meansto the reproducing apparatus; and the server includes a communicationmeans for making data communications with a reproducing apparatuscapable of data communications via a communication network, a storagemeans having stored therein an address table in which a contentreproducible by the reproducing means and address information on aninformation acquisition apparatus capable of data communications withthe reproducing apparatus via a network are correlated with each other,and a control means for retrieving the address table according toretrieval information sent from the reproducing apparatus andcontrolling communications between the reproducing apparatus andinformation acquisition apparatus based on the retrieved address table.

[0025] According to the present invention, when reproducing a contentrecorded in a recording medium or a downloaded content, the reproduceddata and data available from an information acquisition apparatus suchas a camera can be used to produce and output an output data. Forexample, video data can be combined to produce a synthetic data. Thus,the present invention permits not only to reproduce a content data butto produce a variety of outputs based on data from the informationacquisition apparatus.

[0026] Also, the above object can be attained by providing a signalwhich carries a content, and information including link informationaccording to which a reproducing apparatus going to reproduce thecontent accesses an information acquisition apparatus corresponding tothe content. Also, the above object can be attained by providing asignal which carries a content, and information includingoutput-processing identification information indicating that all or apart of data forming the content are outputted from a reproducingapparatus along with data coming from a predetermined informationacquisition apparatus. Also, the above object can be attained byproviding a signal which carries a content, and information includingoperation control information under which a reproducing apparatus goingto reproduce the content controls operations of an informationacquisition apparatus corresponding to the content. Also, the aboveobject can be attained by providing a signal which carries a content,and information including retrieval information according to which areproducing apparatus going to reproduce the content accesses aninformation acquisition apparatus corresponding to the content.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the reproducingsystem according to the present invention.

[0028]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the disc drive in the embodiment ofthe present invention.

[0029]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the camera in the embodiment of thepresent invention.

[0030]FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the server in the embodiment of thepresent invention.

[0031]FIG. 5 explains an address table managed by the server in theembodiment of the present invention.

[0032]FIG. 6 explains examples of real-time world views taken by thecameras included in the address table in the embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0033]FIG. 7 explains a recording area formed in the disc in theembodiment of the present invention.

[0034]FIG. 8 explains a lead-in area of the disc in the embodiment ofthe present invention.

[0035]FIGS. 9A, 9B and 9C explain together a volume area of the disc inthe embodiment of the present invention.

[0036]FIGS. 10A, 10B, 10C and 10D explain together a video title pictureinformation configuration in the disc in the embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0037]FIGS. 11A, 11B and 11C explain together a pack configuration inthe disc in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0038]FIGS. 12A, 12B and 12C explain together the relation between videoobject unit and cell in the disc in the embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0039]FIGS. 13A, 13B and 13C explain together the relation betweenreal-time data and program chain in the disc in the embodiment of thepresent invention.

[0040]FIG. 14 explains the part of titles in the disc according to thepresent invention.

[0041]FIG. 15 shows a flow of operations made in first embodiment of thedisc drive in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0042]FIG. 16 explains the pointers corresponding to the address tablein the embodiment of the present invention.

[0043]FIG. 17 shows a flow of operations made in the server in firstembodiment of the present invention.

[0044]FIG. 18 shows a flow of operations made in the camera in the firstembodiment of the present invention.

[0045]FIG. 19 shows a flow of operations made in reproducing a contentin the disc drive in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0046]FIGS. 20A, 20B and 20C explain together how to combine video datain the disc drive in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0047]FIGS. 21A, 21B and 21C explain together examples of recordedpicture, real-time world view and output picture in the embodiment ofthe present invention.

[0048]FIGS. 22A, 22B and 22C explain together examples of recordedpicture, real-time world view and output picture in the embodiment ofthe present invention.

[0049]FIG. 23 shows a flow of operations made in the disc drive insecond embodiment of the present invention.

[0050]FIG. 24 shows a flow of operations made in updating the addresstable in the disc drive in the second embodiment of the presentinvention the present invention.

[0051]FIG. 25 shows a flow of operations made in the server in thesecond embodiment of the present invention when the disc drive updatesthe address table.

[0052]FIG. 26 explains an address table used in third embodiment of thepresent invention.

[0053]FIG. 27 shows a flow of operations made in the disc drive in thethird embodiment of the present invention.

[0054]FIG. 28 is a block diagram of the camera and pan head in a fourthembodiment of the present invention.

[0055]FIG. 29 explains drive control information superposed on eachframe of recorded video data in the fourth embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0056]FIG. 30 explains a correlation between synthesis type informationand camera address information in the fourth embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0057]FIG. 31 explains imaging control information recorded in thelead-in area of the disc in the fourth embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0058]FIG. 32 shows a flow of operations made in the disc drive in thefourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0059]FIG. 33 shows a flow of operations made in the disc drive in afifth embodiment of the present invention.

[0060]FIG. 34 shows a flow of operations made in the disc drive in aseventh embodiment of the present invention.

[0061]FIG. 35 shows a flow of operations made in the server in theseventh embodiment of the present invention when the disc drive sends akeyword.

[0062]FIG. 36 explains the lead-in area of the disc in the seventhembodiment of the present invention.

[0063]FIG. 37 explains the address table used in the seventh embodimentof the present invention.

[0064]FIG. 38 shows a flow of operations made in the disc drive in aneighth embodiment of the present invention.

[0065]FIG. 39 shows a flow of operations made in the server in theeighth embodiment of the present invention in the eighth embodiment ofthe present invention.

[0066]FIG. 40 shows a flow of operations made in the disc drive in aninth embodiment of the present invention.

[0067]FIG. 41 shows a flow of operations made in the server in the ninthembodiment of the present invention.

[0068]FIG. 42 explains the lead-in area of the disc in the ninthembodiment of the present invention.

[0069]FIG. 43 explains the address table used in the ninth embodiment ofthe present invention.

[0070]FIG. 44 is a block diagram of the reproducing system in a tenthembodiment of the present invention.

[0071]FIG. 45 shows a flow of operations made according to thereproducing software in the tenth embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0072] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in thefollowing order:

[0073] A. First embodiment

[0074] 1. Reproducing system construction

[0075] 2. Disc drive construction

[0076] 3. Camera construction

[0077] 4. Server and address table constructions

[0078] 5. Disc format

[0079] 6. Control at the time of content reproduction

[0080] 7. Picture synthesis

[0081] B Second embodiment

[0082] C. Third embodiment

[0083] D. Fourth embodiment

[0084] E. Fifth embodiment

[0085] F. Sixth embodiment

[0086] G. Seventh embodiment

[0087] H. Eighth embodiment

[0088] I. Ninth embodiment

[0089] J. Tenth embodiment

[0090] K. Applications

[0091] Note that the construction and operations of the system andsystem components will be described in detail concerning the firstembodiment and the second and subsequent embodiments will be describedconcerning only their differences from the first embodiment. Theessentials of these embodiments and differences between them are as willbe described below. The terms used in the description will be defined inthe description of each embodiment.

First Embodiment

[0092] A server holds address tables. A disc drive sends a disc ID for adisc to be played to the server, and receives, from the server, anaddress table corresponding to the disc. The disc drive communicateswith a camera based on the address table to receive a real-time worldview. The disc drive combines the real-time world view with content datareproduced from the disc to produce a synthetic data.

Second Embodiment

[0093] The disc drive stores an address table received from the serverin a flash memory, disc or the like, and uses the address data also in asubsequent disc reproducing. Also, the disc drive communicates with theserver whenever necessary, and updates the address table stored in theflash memory, disc or the like.

Third Embodiment

[0094] A real-time world view during a time zone corresponding todetails of a content to be reproduced by the disc drive.

Fourth Embodiment

[0095] Operations of the camera can be controlled according to a contentto be reproduced.

Fifth Embodiment

[0096] An address table is stored into a disc. The disc drivecommunicates with the camera based on the address table read from thedisc, is supplied with a real-time world view from the camera, combinesthe real-time world view with content data reproduced from the disc toproduce a synthetic data.

Sixth Embodiment

[0097] The disc drive communicates with the camera based on a cameraaddress entered or defined by the user, is supplied with a real-timeworld view from the camera, combines the real-time world view withcontent data reproduced from the disc to produce a synthetic data.

Seventh Embodiment

[0098] The server holds keyword-managed address tables. The disc drivesends a keyword to the server, and is supplied with an address tablecorresponding to the keyword. The disc drive communicates with thecamera based on the address table, and is supplied with a real-timeworld view. It combines the real-time world view with content datareproduced from the disc to produce a synthetic data.

Eighth Embodiment

[0099] The server holds address tables. The disc drive sends a disc IDfor a disc to be played to the server. The server retrieves an addresstable based on the disc ID or the like, and manages communications madebetween a camera in consideration and the disc drive. In this case, theaddress table itself is not transferred.

Ninth Embodiment

[0100] There can be provided a real-time world view of a region inweather corresponding to details of a content to be reproduced by thedisc drive.

Tenth Embodiment

[0101] There is provided a reproducing apparatus which downloads andreproduces a content. A downloaded content is combined with a real-timeworld view to produce a synthetic data.

A. First Embodiment

[0102] 1. Reproducing System Construction

[0103] Referring now to FIG. 1, there is schematically illustrated anembodiment of the reproducing system according to the present inventionin the form of a block diagram. As shown, the recording medium in thisembodiment is a disc 90 which is a DVD (digital versatile disc), and thereproducing apparatus is a disc drive 80. Note that the disc 90 and discdrive 80 are taken just as examples herein and the present invention isnot limited to them. The disc 90 has recorded therein a content composedof time-series data (such as video/audio data like a movie or audio datalike a piece or pieces of music) or a content such as still picture,game picture, map picture, text data or the like, for example. The discdrive 80 is able to play back the disc 90 loaded therein to reproducesuch a content. Video signals and audio signals reproduced by the discdrive 80 are supplied to a television, for example, or morespecifically, to a monitor 35 with a display and speakers 28 thereof,and outputted as reproduced picture and sound.

[0104] The disc drive 80 is also able to make data communications withcameras 50 (including cameras 50 a, 50 b, . . . ) via a communicationnetwork (will be referred to simply as “network” hereunder) 110, andcombine a picture supplied from each of the cameras 50 with a contentpicture reproduced from the disc 90 to produce a synthetic picture. Thenetwork 110 may be a public telephone analog network, public telephonedigital network such as ISDN (integrated services digital network) or aLAN (local area network), for example. Also, the transmission path ofthe network 110 may be a cable, radio wave, communications satellite orthe like. Each of the cameras 50 is an information acquisition apparatusset in an arbitrary outdoor or indoor position, and thus the cameras 50pick up various objects including, for example, natural views such asthe mountain, valley, seashore, etc. and sites or spots appearingdifferent every moment, such as the street, highway, store inside,showroom, etc. Also, the camera 50 is able to output pictures of such aview or scene by coding them by the data compression technique definedin MPEG or the like. A unique URL (uniform resource locator) is assignedto each of these cameras 50. Note that the camera 50 may be a oneinstalled on board in a communications satellite or the like launched toorbit the Earth for the purpose of measuring topographic maps. A picturerecorded in the disc 90 will be taken as first picture and referred toas “recorded picture (recorded video data)” hereunder, and a picturetaken by the camera 50 will be taken as second picture and referred toas “real-time world view (real-time world video data)” hereunder. Also,a picture produced by combining first and second pictures will be takenas third picture and referred to as “output picture (output video data)”hereunder.

[0105] For combining a recorded picture and real-time world view toproduce a synthetic picture, a recorded picture is reproduced in thedisc drive 80, while an appropriate one of the cameras 50 is selectedand a real-time world view is downloaded from the camera 50. In thiscase, the selected camera 50 is corresponding to a content recorded inthe disc 90, for example. The correspondence or correlation between acamera to pick up such a real-time world view and a content is managedbased on an address table recorded in a server 60 connected to thenetwork 110. Namely, the disc 90 has recorded therein identificationinformation (will be referred to as “disc ID” hereunder) according towhich the disc itself or a content recorded in the disc is identified,and address information on the server 60, that is link informationaccording to which communications are made between the disc drive 80 andcamera 50. When the disc 90 is loaded in the disc drive 80 (or when adisc already loaded therein is detected with the power on), the discdrive 80 makes data communications with the server 60 according to theaddress information to send a disc ID to the server 60.

[0106] Correspondingly, the server 60 will send an address tablecorresponding to the disc ID to the disc drive 80. By making datacommunication with the server 60 in this way, the disc drive 80 canacquire, from the server 60, an address table corresponding to a contentrecorded in the disc 90. Note that to this end, the disc drive 80 may beadapted to receive, from the server 60, an address table whichcorresponds to one or plural specific contents to be reproduced, or toreceive address tables corresponding to all contents, respectively,recorded in the disc 90.

[0107] Based on the address table sent from the server 60, the discdrive 80 makes data communications with the camera 50, combines areal-time world video data and recorded video to produce an output videodata. Thus an output picture can be displayed on the monitor 35.

[0108] 2. Disc Drive Construction

[0109] Referring now to FIG. 2, there is schematically illustrated anexample construction of the disc drive 80 in the embodiment of thepresent invention in the form of a block diagram. Note that the discdrive 80 is able to play back an optical disc such as a DVD (digitalversatile disc), CD (compact disc) or the like to reproduce data fromthe disc. However, the disc drive 80 will be described herein concerninga reproducing system supporting the format of a DVD-Video (digitalversatile disc-Video). That is, the disc 90 has recorded therein a videodata (main picture data), audio data, sub picture data and navigationdata that is a control data, as a content, multiplexed in compliancewith the MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group)-2 standard, for example.

[0110] The disc 90 is placed on a tunable 7 which is rotated by aspindle motor 6 during reproducing operation. While the disc 90 is beingthus rotated, pit data (phase-change pits, or organic dye change(reflectance change) pits or embossed pits) on the disc 90 are read byan optical pickup 1.

[0111] As shown in FIG. 2, the optical pickup 1 includes a laser diode 4to emit a laser light, a photodetector 5 to detect a reflected light(return light) from a disc 90, an objective lens 2 to focus the laserlight on the disc 90, and an optical system (not shown) to project thelaser light onto the recording layer in the disc 90 through theobjective lens 2 and guide the reflected light from the disc 90 to thephotodetector 5.

[0112] The objective lens 2 is held by a biaxial mechanism 3 movably inthe tracking and focusing directions. The entire optical pickup 1 ismovable by a sled mechanism 8 radially of a disc. The laser diode 4 inthe optical pickup 1 is driven with a drive signal (drive current) froma laser driver 18 to emit a laser light. Reflected light informationfrom the disc 90 is detected by the photodetector 5, converted to anelectrical signal of a magnitude corresponding to the detected amount oflight, and supplied to an RF amplifier 9.

[0113] The RF amplifier 9 includes a current-voltage conversion circuitto convert output currents from plural photodetection elements of thephotodetector 5 to voltages, matrix operation/amplification circuitwhich produces necessary signals by matrix operation and amplification,etc. The necessary signals include an RF signal which is a read signal,focus error signal FE and tracking error signal TE, used to make servocontrol, etc. From the RF amplifier 9, a read RF signal is supplied to adecoding/error-correction circuit 12, and the focus error signal FE andtracking error signal TE are supplied to a servo processor 14. The readRF signal from the RF amplifier 9 is binaries in thedecoding/error-correction circuit 12, resulting in a so-called E.M.(eight fourteen modulation)+signal, and decoding is made against theE.M.+modulation. Further, the decoded signal is subjected to CIR (crossinterleaved Reed-Solomon Code) error correction to provide a reproduceddata. In this way, the reproduced data subjected to decoding and errorcorrection in the decoding/error-correction circuit 12 is provisionallystored (buffered) in a buffer 20 and then supplied to a pack separator25. Also, the reproduced data is supplied to a DSI (data searchinformation) decoder 42 in which DSI packets forming together anavigation pack are extracted and supplied to a system controller 10.

[0114] The servo processor 14 produces various servo drive signals forthe focusing, tracking, sledding and spindle drives from the focus errorsignal FE and tracking error signal TE from the RF amplifier 9, andspindle error signal SPE etc. from the decoding/error-correction circuit12. These drive signals are used to make servo operations. That is, theservo processor 14 produces a focus drive signal FD and tracking drivesignal TD from the focus error signal FE and tracking error signal TE,respectively, and supplies them to a biaxial driver 16. The biaxialdriver 16 will drive a focus coil and tracking coil in the biaxialmechanism 3 in the optical pickup 1. Thus, the optical pickup 1, RFamplifier 9, servo processor 14, biaxial driver 16 and biaxial mechanism3 form together each of a tracking servo loop and focus servo loop.

[0115] Also, the servo processor 14 operates in response to a track jumpcommand from the system controller 10 to open the tracking servo loop,and provides a jump drive signal to the biaxial driver 16, therebycausing the optical pickup 1 to jump across a track or tracks.

[0116] Further, the servo processor 14 produces a spindle drive signalbased on the spindle error signal SPE and supplies it to the spindlemotor driver 17. The spindle motor driver 17 applies a three-phase drivesignal for example to the spindle motor 6 correspondingly to the spindledrive signal, thereby causing the spindle motor 6 to make a C.V. or CANrotation. Also, the servo processor 14 produces a spindle drive signalbased on a spindle kick/brake control signal from the system controller10 to cause the spindle motor driver 17 to start, stop, accelerate anddecelerate the spindle motor 6.

[0117] Also, the servo processor 14 produces a sled drive signal basedon a sled error signal as a lowpass component of the tracking errorsignal TE for example and under the access operation control of thesystem controller 10. The sled driver 15 drives the sled mechanism 8according to the sled drive signal. The sled mechanism 8 includes a mainshaft supporting the optical pickup 1, sled motor, transmission gear,etc. (not shown). As the sled driver 15 drives the sled motor accordingto the sled drive signal, the optical pickup 1 is caused to sled.

[0118] Various operations of the above reproducing system and servosystems are controlled by the system controller 10 constructed ofmicrocomputers. The system controller 10 controls each of the componentsof the disc drive 80 via a control bus 45 for example. For example, toreproduce a content from the disc 90 loaded in the disc drive 80, thesystem controller 10 controls an operation of seeking a designatedaddress. More particularly, the system controller 10 issues a command tothe servo processor 14 to have the optical pickup 1 access an addressdesignated with the seek command, and controls the necessary circuits tomake decoding/error-correction of data read from the disc 90, anddemodulation of video and audio signals. Also, the system controller 10provides various kinds of display control based on control data readfrom the disc 90. Further, in this embodiment, the system controller 10is designed to control data communications with the camera 50 and server60, and combination of recorded video data and real-time world videodata for producing a synthetic data.

[0119] The system controller 10 is provided with a ROM (read-onlymemory) 40 and RAM (random-access memory) 41. The ROM 40 has storedtherein programs to be executed by the system controller 10 as well asinformation required for the system controller 10 to control variousoperations, for example. The RAM 41 is designed to store address tablessupplied from the server 60, for example.

[0120] The reproduced data provided from the decoding/error-correctioncircuit 12 is a data row in which there are multiplexed a video pack VPcomposed of compressed video data of a main picture, audio pack APcomposed of compressed audio data, sub picture pack SP composed of subpicture data as a sub picture corresponding to the main picture, and anavigation pack NVP composed of navigation data as control data. Thepack separator 25 separates the packs in a reproduced data supplied fromthe decoding/error-correction circuit 12 based on identifiers added tothe packs, respectively. The audio pack AP separated in the packseparator 25 is supplied to an audio data decoder 26. The audio datadecoder 26 decodes the audio pack AP as necessary to produce audio data.The audio data output from the audio data decoder 26 is converted toanalog audio signals in a D/A converter 27, and supplied to a speaker 28provided as an external device. Note that in case the audio data hasbeen compressed by the Dolby digital system (™) or under the MPEG(Moving Picture Experts Group)—Audio standard for example, it is decodedby the audio data decoder 26 but audio data recorded by the linear PCM(pulse code modulation) technique for example and not compressed issupplied, without being decoded, to a D/A converter 27.

[0121] The video pack VP and sub picture pack SP, separated in the packseparator 25, are supplied to a video data decoder 29 which will decodethe video pack VP to produce a main picture data while decoding the subpicture pack SP to produce a sub picture data. The video data decoder 29is provided with a frame buffer memory capable of storing frame unitsfor the purpose of decoding. Also, the video data decoder 29 is designedto extract synthesis type information added in units of frame to themain picture data for example. Based on the synthesis type information,it is determined whether recorded video data and real-time world videodata should be combined for production of a synthetic video data.Picture data, main and sub, produced in the video data decoder 29 aresupplied to a synthesizer 30. The navigation pack NVP separated in thepack separator 25 is supplied to a PCI (picture control information)packet decoder 43 which will extract, from the navigation pack NVP, aPCI packet forming together with the DSI packet the navigation pack NVP.The PCI packet decoded in the PCI packet decoder 43 is supplied asdisplay control information to the system controller 10 and video datadecoder 29.

[0122] As shown, the disc drive 80 includes a communication unit 31 asan interface to provide a network connection with the network 110 shownin FIG. 1. It is designed to make data communications with the camera 50and server 60 shown in FIG. 1 via the network 110. Also, there isprovided an error-correction circuit 32 designed to makeerror-correction of various data (real-time world video data and addresstable) supplied via the communication unit 31. The disc drive 80includes a video data decoder 33 which decodes video data supplied fromthe communication unit 31 via the error-correction circuit 32 to producevideo data. The video data decoder 33 receives real-time world videodata compressed according to the video compression standard such asMPEG-2 or MPEG-1 for example from the cameras 50. Therefore, the videodata decoder 33 is designed to decode video data correspondingly to adata compression standard under which the received video data has beencompressed. The video data decoder 33 supplied the synthesizer 30 withvideo data produced by the decoding. The synthesizer 30 combinesrecorded video data supplied from the video data decoder 29 andreal-time world video data supplied from the video data decoder 33 toproduce synthetic video data. The synthesizer 30 includes a buffermemory to hold video data to be combined for synthesis. Note that thesynthesis operations of the synthesizer 30 will be described in detaillater.

[0123] The synthetic video data from the synthesizer 30 is supplied as avideo data output to a video signal converter 34. The video signalconverter 34 converts the received video data to an NTSC (NationalTelevision System Committee) or PAL (phase alteration by line) signal.It should be noted that to output only an picture reproduced from thedisc 90, the recorded video data supplied from the video data decoder 29should be supplied to the video signal converter 34, not via thesynthesizer 30 as indicated with a dashed line in FIG. 2. Thereby, acontent such as a movie recorded in the disc 90 can be reproducednormally.

[0124] The disc drive 80 further includes a time keeper 37 which keepsthe current time in a region where the disc drive 80 is in use, forexample. The disc drive 80 is provided with a control panel 38 as well.The control panel 38 is used as a user's interface to The system, andincludes controls operated by the user when causing the reproducingsystem to start and stop reproduction of a content, for example. Acontrol command entered by the user operating a corresponding control issupplied from the control panel to the system controller 10 which willcontrol a corresponding controlled object according to the controlcommand supplied from the control panel 38. The disc drive 80 includesalso a flash memory 46 to store information which should not be losteven when the power is turned off. Such information includes, forexample, various settings and factors required for the system controller10 to make control operations. Also, the flash memory is usable to storeaddress tables, which will be described in detail later concerning eachof the embodiments.

[0125] As above, the disc drive 80 in this embodiment combines arecorded picture reproduced from the disc 90 and a real-time world viewtaken by the camera 50 to produce a synthetic picture, and outputs thesynthetic picture as output video data to the monitor 35 or the like.

[0126] Note that the disc drive 80 having been described with referenceto the block diagram in FIG. 2 is constructed to decode a compressedvideo data and then produce a synthetic picture but it may be designedto decode video data having been synthesized while being coded by codingeach object with the object coding technique adopted in MPEG-4 forexample. Also, video data reproduced from the disc 90 and video datasupplied from the camera 50 are handled herein as compressed video databut they may be ones not coded by compression in some cases.

[0127] 3. Camera Construction

[0128] Referring now to FIG. 3, there is schematically illustrated anexample construction of the camera 50 in the embodiment of the presentinvention in the form of a block diagram. As shown, the camera 50includes a lens unit 51 to pick up the previously mentioned view orscene as an object picture (real-time world view). Rays of lightdefining an picture, passing through the lens unit 51, are incident uponon a CCD (charge-coupled device) 52 which is a light-electric convertingelement. The CCD 52 is provided for each of three primary colorsincluding R, G and B for example. Pixels corresponding to such colorsare disposed regularly on the plane of the CCD substrate, upon which thepicture-forming rays of light passing through the lens unit 51 areincident, to define a two-dimensional imaging area.

[0129] Since an electric signal corresponding to a charge read from theCCD 52, that is, to a charge developed by the rays of light from theobject, is very weak, it is supplied to a amplifier/gain controller 53where it will be amplified. Then, the amplified signal is sampled andheld, then controlled in gain, and supplied as an output to an A/Dconverter 54. The A/D converter 54 converts the input analog signal to adigital data, and supplies the digital data to a video encoder 55 inwhich it is coded. The coding technique used herein is the compressiontechnique defined in MPEG-2 or the like for example. The camera 50includes also a communication unit 56 as an interface to make datacommunications with the disc drive 80 via the network 110 shown inFIG. 1. The communication unit 56 receives access request informationfrom the disc drive 80, and sends real-time world video data coded bythe video encoder 55.

[0130] As shown, the camera 50 includes also a controller 57 isconstructed from a microcomputer for example. The controller 57 controlsthe entire camera via a control bus 58. For example, it controls thetiming for synchronism among acquisition of picture-defining rays oflight in the CCD 52, AID conversion in the A/D converter 54 and datacoding in the video encoder 55, for example. Also, when reception ofaccess request information to the camera 50 has been detected, thecontroller 57 controls the communication unit 56 to send a video datacoded by the video encoder 55. Further, the controller 57 controls thelens drive system in the lens unit 51 to make focusing and iris control.

[0131] 4. Server and Address Table Constructions

[0132] Referring now to FIG. 4, there is schematically illustrated anexample construction of the server 60 in the embodiment of the presentinvention in the form of a block diagram. As shown, the server 60includes a communication unit 61 which makes data communications withthe disc drive 80 via the network 110, a data base 62 having recordedtherein address tables correlated with various disc ids for example, anda controller 63 which controls communications with the network 110 via acontrol bus 64 and manages the data base 62. For example, when theserver 60 has received a sending request and disc ID from the disc drive80, the controller 63 provides a control to retrieve an address tablecorresponding to the disc ID from the data base 62 and send the addresstable to the disc drive 80. Thus, the communication unit 61 sends theaddress table to the disc drive 80 having sent the sending request tothe server 60.

[0133]FIG. 5 is an explanatory illustration of an example constructionof the address tables managed by the server 60 in the embodiment of thepresent invention. As above, the data base 62 has recorded thereinaddress tables correlated with disc IDS for example. FIG. 5 illustrates,as a typical example, an address table #1 corresponding to a disc ID[001]. As shown, each of the address tables #1, #2, . . . has storedtherein index information corresponding to one content or one ofsegments defined by dividing one content at each lapse of a time forexample (will be referred to as “program”, “chapter”, “scene” or thelike in this embodiment), and address information on a camera 50corresponding to the index information. In the address table #1, addressinformation on the camera 50 on the network 110 is correlated with indexinformation corresponding to a content or a program, chapter, scene orthe like in the content as shown in FIG. 5. This address table is apiece of information preset (or set at a time later than the preparationof a content) correspondingly to the details of a content to be recordedto the disc 90 for example in the course of the content preparation.

[0134] As shown, in the address table #1, three pieces of camera addressinformation (#1, #2 and #3) correspond to pieces of index information#1, #2, #3 and #4, respectively. It is assumed herein against anysituation in which the cameras 50 cannot make data communications withthe disc drive 80 (for example, a trouble such as a system busy orfault) that the camera address information pieces correspond to threecameras 50 taking the same real-time world view. That is to say, in casethe index information #1 is designed for reproduction of a content atthe disc drive 80 for example, it suffices that the disc drive 80 cancommunicate with any one of the three cameras 50. It should be notedthat three cameras 50 are not always disposed for picking up the samereal-time world view. Therefore, camera address information will beprepared correspondingly to cameras 50 in use.

[0135] By preparing the above address table #1 to correlate indexinformation and camera address information with each other, any ofcamera addresses “12.34.567.1”, “12.34.567.2” and “12.34.567.3” willcorrespond to details of a content to be recorded to the disc 90,corresponding to the index information #1, and any of camera addresses“34.56.789.1”, “34.56.789.2” and “34.56.789.3” will correspond todetails of the content, corresponding to the index information #3. Afteran address table is sent to the disc drive 80 for reproduction of acontent, a pointer for the address table will be set in the disc drive80 as will be described in detail later, thereby selecting any cameraaddress.

[0136] When the index information #1 is designated, the disc drive 80will make, according to the camera address “12.34.567.x”, datacommunications with the camera 50 a picking up the view of a city asshown in FIG. 6. Similarly, when the index information #2 is designated,the disc drive 80 will make, according to the camera address“23.45.678.x”, data communications with the camera 50 b picking up theview of a street. Also, when the index information #3 is designated, thedisc drive 80 will make, according to the camera address “34.56.789.x”,data communications with the camera 50 c picking up the view of the sea.Further, when the index information #4 is designated, the disc drive 80will make, according to the camera address “45.67.891.x”, datacommunications with the camera 50 d picking up the view of mountains.That is, based on the address table shown in FIG. 5, the disc drive 80will be supplied with real-time world views in the order of city,street, sea and mountains to reproduce a content.

[0137] Also, the data base 62 has recorded therein address tables #2,#3, #4, . . . in addition to the address table #1 as shown in FIG. 5,and an address table is selected to a disc ID sent from the disc drive80.

[0138] As above, the server 60 intensively manages address tablescorresponding to various discs 90 available in the market. Thus, theaddress tables managed in the server 60 can be reflected on the discs 90via the network.

[0139] 5. Disc Format

[0140] Referring now to FIG. 7, there is schematically illustrated arecording area formed in the disc 90 in the embodiment of the presentinvention. In the recording area of the disc 90, there are formed alead-in area, volume area and a lead-output area.

[0141] As shown in FIG. 8 for example, in the lead-in area, there isrecorded a variety of information (including TOC (table of contents)etc.) to be supplied to the disc drive at the start of playing back thedisc 90. The information includes index information composed of startand end times as segmental information (program, chapter or scene) of acontent recorded in the disc, and information on the capacity of thedisc 90, information on the number of recording layers (1 layer or 2layers) of the disc 90, track path direction information (parallel oropposite), recording start/end position information in the volume areaindicated with a sector number for example, disc ID for identificationof the disc, etc. Further in this embodiment, the information includescamera interlock identification information indicating whether a contentrecorded in the disc 90 is interlocked with a real-time world viewsupplied from the camera 50, server address information on the server 60in which an address table corresponding to the disc 90 is recorded, etc.

[0142] The volume area is composed of a volume management area, videoarea and other areas as necessary, as will be described below withreference to FIG. 9. The lead-out area is intended to inform the discdrive 80 of the end of content reproduction.

[0143]FIG. 9 explains each of areas formed in the volume area of thedisc 90 in the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 9A,the volume area is composed of a volume management area in whichmanagement information for the entire volume area is recorded, a contentsuch as a movie for example, and a video area in which a variety ofcontrol information corresponding to the content area is recorded.

[0144] The volume management area has stated therein managementinformation based on the universal disc format (UDF), enabling acomputer to access a content recorded in the video area. The video areais composed of a video manager (VMG), and one or more video title sets(VTS).

[0145] As shown in FIG. 9B, the video manager (VMG) is composed of videmanager information (VMGI), video object set for VMG menu (VMGM_VOBS),and backup-use video manager information (VMGI_BUP). The video managerinformation is control information for use to display a volume menu inwhich there is indicated information on the contents of one or morevideo title sets VTS #1, VTS #2, VTS #3, . . . . The video object setfor VMG menu (VMG M_VOBS) includes a video object set (VBOS) for use todisplay the volume menu. It should be noted that the video object set isan information unit consisting of a video object unit (VOBU) formed byreproduced data (video and audio) whose duration is about 0.5 to 1.0sec. The video object unit (VOBU) will be described in detail later.Next to the video object set for VMG menu (VMGM_VOBS), there is recordedby the backup-use video manager information (VMGI_BUP) of which thecontents are the same as those of the aforementioned video managerinformation.

[0146] The smallest unit of the video title set shown in FIG. 9Acorresponds to a content in consideration, for example, one movie.Therefore, in case only a single movie is recorded as a content in thedisc 90, at least one video title set will be recorded in the VTS area.Also, the VTS area can record a total of 99 video title sets. It shouldbe noted that also in this embodiment, a program, chapter, scene or thelike is used as a unitary segment of the video title set.

[0147]FIG. 9C shows the contents of each video title set. Video titleset information (VTSI) is control information for the video title set(VTS). In the video title set, video title set for the VTS menu(VTSM_VOBS) is composed of a video object set for display of a titlemenu formed to display the contents of the video title set. Video titleset for title in a VTS (VTSTT_VOBS) is composed of a video object setfor use to reproduce the video title set. In the video title set, theVTSTT_VOBS is followed by a backup-use video title set information(VTSI-BUP) having the same contents as those in the above video titleset information (VTSI).

[0148]FIG. 10 explains the configuration of the video title pictureinformation in the disc 90 in the embodiment of the present invention.As shown in FIG. 10A, the VTSTT-VOBS is composed of one or more videoobjects (VOB #1 to #n). Further, on video object is composed of morethan one cell as shown in FIG. 10B. These cells are units ofreproduction to which unique identification information (ID #1, #2, #3,. . . ) are added, respectively, as real-time data. As shown in FIG.10C, each cell includes two or more video objects units (VOBU). That is,the video object unit is managed in cells. Further, as shown in FIG.10D, the video object unit is composed of four types of packs includinga navigation pack NVP, video pack VP, audio pack AP and a sub-picturepack SP. Each cell has a navigation pack NVP placed a the top thereof,and includes an integral number of groups of pictures (GOP) eachincluding a video pack VP, audio pack AP and a sub-picture pack SP inthis order.

[0149] The navigation pack NVP is composed of presentation controlinformation (PCI) for controlling reproduction of video and audio datain the video object unit, and data search information (DSI) for use tosearch data. The video pack VP is a main picture data, for example,packed video data compressed by the data compression technique definedin MPEG or the like for example. The sub-picture pack SP is auxiliaryinformation to the main picture data as the video pack VP. Namely, it isa packed video data which adds a caption etc. for example to the mainpicture. The audio pack AP is a packed audio data.

[0150]FIG. 11 explains the pack configuration. As shown, one pack iscomposed of a pack header and packet. It is a data unit defined as onelogical block in the disc 90, and has a data length of 2048 bytes. Thepack header has stated therein a pack start code, system clock reference(SCR), etc. The pack start code indicates the start of a pack. Thesystem clock reference is synchronous with a reproduced data, andindicates a time taken for data reproduction by the entire disc drive80.

[0151]FIG. 11B shows the configuration of a packet in the video pack VP,sub-picture pack SP and audio pack AP. The packet header is composed ofa packet start code indicative of the start of a packet, stream IDindicating the type of data to be recorded to a packet, packet lengthand sub-stream ID. Therefore, the stream ID has recorded thereinidentification information indicating which the data recorded in thepacket is, video, sub-picture or audio. Also, stuffing bytes (dummydata) are inserted in the video pack VP for example whenever necessary.Stuffing byte length information is recorded in the packet header inthis case.

[0152] Also, the navigation pack NVP has PCI and DSI recorded indivisions, respectively, of one packet therein as shown in FIG. 11C.That is, in case the stream ID includes identification informationindicating a navigation pack NV, packet headers #1 and #2 are formed inthe packet. In this case, the sub-stream ID #1 has recorded thereinidentification information indicating that a packet #1 has PCI recordedtherein, and also the sub-stream ID #2 has recorded thereinidentification information indicating that the sub-stream ID #2 has DSIrecorded therein.

[0153]FIG. 12 explains the relation between video object unit and cellin the disc 90 in the embodiment of the present invention. As previouslymentioned, the video object units VOBU #1, VOBU #2, . . . shown in FIGS.12A and 12B are managed per cell. As shown in FIG. 12C, more than onecell are managed as programs PG #1, . . . , PG #n. Further, a successionof such programs PG can be managed as a program chain PGC. In a moviefor example, the program PG is one of parts of a content, defined bydividing the content along the story of the movie. It is also called a“chapter”. In this embodiment, it is also called a “scene”. Further, theprogram chain PGC includes, in addition to the programs PG, apre-command which is to be executed before the first cell is reproduced,and a post-command which is to be executed after the last cell isreproduced.

[0154] In the program chain PGC, an order of reproduction of the cellsforming the program PG is designated. To manage the order of cellreproduction, each of the cells is numbered separately fromidentification information unique to the cell (dell ID). That is, in theprogram PG #1 for example, the cells forming this program are numbered#1 to #n as shown in FIG. 12C, and they will be reproduced in thatorder.

[0155] Management information about the program chain, such as recordposition information on the video object units managed in the programchain, is managed according to the video title set information shown inFIG. 9C. Therefore, in case the disc drive 80 reproduces a video titleset, it will arrange the cells as managed in the program chain withreference to the video title set information.

[0156]FIG. 13 explains the relation between real-time data and the cellsincluded in the program chain. FIG. 13A shows a sequence of cells asreal-time data (ID #1, ID #2, ID #3, . . . ). For example, in case acontent recorded to the disc 90 is one movie and one video title set ismanaged in one program chain PGC #1, the cells will be reproduced intheir order of recording in the disc 90, namely, in the same sequence asthe cell IDS, as shown in FIG. 13B. Therefore, in the sequence ofreproduction, the cell ID agrees with the cell number. In case aplurality of contents different in story from each other are recorded inone video title set, the programs PG are managed in different programchains PGC #2 and PGC #3, respectively, as shown in FIG. 13C. In thiscase, each of the program chains PGC #2 and PGC #3 has arranged in theirorder of reproduction therein the cells which are to be reproducedcorrespondingly to the programs PG. For example, in the program chainPGC #2 for example, the cell IDS are arranged in the order of “#4”,“#2”, “#6”, “#7”, “#3”, “#5” and “#8”, and in the program chain PGC #3,the cells IDS are arranged in the order of “#7”, “#3”, “#4”, “#2”, “#5”,“#8” and “#6”.

[0157] Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the programs including in theprogram chain PGC can be managed in units of part of title (PTT). Inthis case, a PTT number is added to each program, and with an operationby the user, access (for reproduction or program location) is made to anprogram according to the PTT number.

[0158] As above, the programs chain and cells can be managed to freelyset a time-segmented configuration of the video title set and order ofsegment reproduction. Thus, a parental level and angle of reproducedpicture can be selected per program and per cell. Also, in case thecontent is a movie, a process of its story can be selected.

[0159] 6. Control at Time of Content Reproduction

[0160] Referring now to FIG. 15, there will be described an example ofthe procedure including disc discrimination and address tableacquisition as initial operations to be made with the disc 90 loaded inthe disc drive 80, subsequent operations done by the system controller10 for connecting to the cameras, etc.

[0161] First, the system controller 10 judges, in step S1, whether thedisc 90 is loaded or whether the disc 90 is already loaded when thepower is turned on). Then in step S2, the system controller 10discriminates the type of the loaded disc 90 (DVD, CD, CD-ROM or thelike). In the initial operation after the disc loading, TOC (table ofcontents) is read for example. In this case, the spindle, focus andtracking servos are put into action for setting them so that data can beread. That is, each of the servos is set based on the servocharacteristic of each type of disc. Therefore, when the servos are set,it becomes possible to discriminate the type of a loaded disc based onthe servo characteristic of the disc.

[0162] Next to the disc discrimination in step S2, the system controller10 reads TOC in step S3, and detects a camera interlock identificationflag in step S4. Then, the system controller 10 goes to step S5 where itwill judge based on the detected camera interlock identification flagwhether the disc 90 is a one interlocked with the camera. When theresult of judgment is that the disc 90 is such a disc, the systemcontroller 10 goes to step S6 where it will detect address information,recorded in TOC, about the server 60, and then goes to step S7 where itwill cause the communication unit 31 to make a request for connection tothe server 60 to start data communications with the server 60. It shouldbe noted that in case the disc 90 is not a one interlocked with thecamera, no communications with the server 60 and camera 50 will be madebut the disc drive 80 will independently reproduce data from the disc 90in steps S5 to S18.

[0163] After having started the data communications with the server 60,the system controller 10 goes to step S8 where it will first send discID to the server 60. Then it goes to step S9 where it will judge whetheran address table has been received from the server 60 in response to thesend disc ID. That is, the system controller 10 will wait for arrival ofan address table. When the result of judgment is that an address tablehas been received, the system controller 10 goes to step S10 where itwill store it into the RAM 41 and decode it. It should be noted thatwhen the address table has been received, the system controller 10 willterminate the data communications with the server 60 but it willcontinuously make data communications with the server 60 in some cases.

[0164] Next in step S11, the pointers for the address table (indexpointer and camera address pointer) is initialized in the RAM 41. Forexample, the pointers are set to have initial values of “1” and “1”,respectively, as shown in FIG. 16 for example. In this case, the cameraaddress is set to “12.34.567.1”. After completing this pointerinitialization, the system controller 10 goes to step S12 where it willcause the communication unit 31 to make a request for connection to acamera whose address is designated with the camera address pointer.Then, it goes to step S13 where it will judge, based on a response fromthe camera with which the request has been made for connection, whetherthe connection to the camera, or data communication with the camera, iscurrently possible.

[0165] When the result of judgment is that communication with the camerato which it is connected is possible, the system controller 10 goes tostep S14 where it will start data communications with the camera. Also,when the result of judgment is that no communication with the camera towhich the request has been made for connection in step S12 is possible,the system controller 10 goes to step S17 where it will increment thecamera address pointer, and returns to step S12 where it will make arequest for connection to a camera whose address is designated with theupdated camera address pointer. That is, the system controller 10selects a next camera picking up the same view and makes a request forconnection to the camera. When the result of judgment is thatcommunications with the camera are possible, the system controller 10goes to step S14 where it will start data communications with thecamera.

[0166] Next, the system controller 10 goes to step S115 where it willincrement the index pointer while initializing the address pointer. Thenit goes to step S16 where it will judge whether the incremented indexpointer is the largest value in the address table. When the result ofjudgment is that it is not the largest one, the system controller 10returns to step S12 where it will make a request for connection to acamera whose address is designated with the pointer having been updatedin step S15. That is, a camera corresponding to a next index (scene orthe like) is selected by incrementing the index pointer. Also in thiscase, when the result of judgment is that no communications with thecamera to which the system controller 10 has been connected in step S12,the system controller 10 goes to step S17 where it will increment theaddress pointer, and returns to step S12 where it will make a requestfor connection to a camera whose address is designated with the updatedpointer. A next camera picking up the same view for example is selectedin this way.

[0167] As above, the system controller 10 makes a request for connectionto a camera whose address is shown in the address table. When it hasbeen judged in step S16 is that the index pointer has the largest value,namely, that a request for connection to a camera has been made as toall indexes, the system controller 10 goes to step S18 where a contentwill be reproduced.

[0168] Note that the connection to all cameras for data communications,made before shifting to the content reproduction, has been described inthe above with reference to the flow chart in FIG. 15. It should benoted however that the connection to the cameras may be done bydiscriminating a scene (program or chapter) whenever necessary afterstarting the content reproduction and making a request for connection toa camera picking up the scene, for example.

[0169]FIG. 17 is a flow chart explaining an example of the procedureincluding operations made by the controller 63 in the server 60 when thedisc drive 80 operates as in steps S7 and S8 shown in FIG. 15. In stepS101, the server 60 waits for a result of judging whether it has beenrequested for connection from the disc drive 80 via the network 110while the server 60 is in operation. When the result of judgment is thatthe connection request has arrived at the server 60, the controller 63goes to step S102 where it will cause the server 60 to start datacommunications with the disc drive 80 having sent the connection requestand judges whether the server 70 has received a disc ID sent from thedisc drive 80. When the result of judgement is that the server 60 hasreceived the disc ID, the controller 63 goes to step S103 where it willretrieve an address table corresponding to the detected disc ID from thedata base 62. Further, the controller 63 goes to step S104 where it willcontrol the communication unit 61 to send the selected address tabletowards the disc drive 80 from which it has received the connectionrequest. This is a response to the disc drive 80 which has made theconnection request to the server 60. After sending the address table,the controller 63 terminates the communication with the disc drive 80having made the connection request to the server 60. Thus, the discdrive 80 will be able to acquire the address table through theoperations in steps S9 and S10 in FIG. 15.

[0170]FIG. 18 shows a flow chart explaining an example of the procedureincluding operations made by the controller 57 in the camera 50 when thedisc drive 80 operates as in step S12 shown in FIG. 15. Like theaforementioned server 60, the camera 50 waits, in step S201, for aresults of judging whether it has been requested for connection from thedisc drive 80 via the network 110 while the camera 50 is in operation.When the result of judgment is that the connection request has arrivedat the camera 50 being on standby, the controller 57 goes to step S202where it will judge whether the camera 50 is currently contestable, thatis, whether it can communicate with the disc drive 80. It should benoted that the connection request is a one having been made in step S12shown in FIG. 15. When the result of judgment is that the communicationis possible, the controller 57 goes to step S203 where it will cause thecamera 50 to start data communications with the disc drive 80 from whichit has received the connection request, and then goes to step S204 whereit will send real-time world video data to the disc drive 80. After thecamera 50 starts sending the real-time world video data, the controller57 goes to step S205 where it will judge whether a request fordisconnection from the disc drive 80 has been detected. When the resultof judgment is that the disconnection request has been detected, thecontroller 57 goes to step S206 where it will terminate the datacommunication with the disc drive 80, and waits for a connection requestsent from the disc drive 80. The disconnection request will be sent fromthe disc drive 80 when the reproduction of a content recorded in thedisc 90 is complete in the disc drive 80 or when the reproduction of acontent is stopped by the user.

[0171] When it has been judged in step S202 that no connection ispossible in response to the connection request from the disc drive 80,the controller 57 goes to step S207 where it will send communicationimpossibility information to the disc drive 80. No connection to thecamera is possible when it is busy, namely, when it is communicatingwith any other disc drive 80, or when the camera is faulty, for example.

[0172] 7. Picture Synthesis

[0173]FIG. 19 is a flow chart explaining an example of the procedureincluding operations made by the system controller 10 for synthesis ofdata during content reproduction in the disc drive 80 after theinitialization shown in FIG. 15. After a content reproduction is startedin step S301, the system controller 10 goes to step S302 where it willjudge whether synthesis type information indicating whether there hasbeen detected a recorded video data and real-time world video data areto be combined for synthesis. The synthesis type information is a oneextracted in frames for example in the video data decoder 29 as havingpreviously been described. When the result of judgment is that thesynthesis type information has been detected, the system controller 10goes to step S303 where it will supply the synthesizer 30 with forexample one frame of real-time world video data decoded by the videodata decoder 33, and further goes to step S304 where it will cause thesynthesizer 30 to combine the recorded video data and real-time worldvideo data. It should be noted that the synthesizing operations will bedescribed in detail later. In step S305, the output video data producedby the synthesis in step S304 is converted by the video signal converter34 to TV signals. Also, when it is judged in step S302 that no synthesistype information has been detected, the system controller 10 causes thesynthesizer 30 to output only the recorded video data which will beconverted by the video signal converter 34 to TV signals. Therefore, acontent reproduced from the disc 90 will be outputted as it is.

[0174]FIGS. 20A, 20B and 20C diagrammatically illustrate frames andsynthesis type information corresponding to the frames and explaintogether the data combination effected by the synthesizer 30 in stepS304 in FIG. 19. As shown, frames are arranged correspondingly to theelapse of time t. Frames corresponding to synthesis type information “1”as shown in FIG. 20A are to be combined for synthesis. As shown in FIG.20A, when frames of recorded video data read from the disc 90 anddecoded by the video data decoder 29 are n, n+1, n+2, n+3, n+4, n+5,n+6, . . . , respectively, synthesis type information corresponding tothe frames n+2, n+3 and n+4 are “1”. Therefore, these three frames areto be combined for synthesis, while other frames corresponding to thesynthesis type information “0” are not to be combined for synthesis. Asshown in FIG. 20B, when real-time world video data decoded by the videodata decoder 33 are m, m+1, m+2, m+3, m+4, m+5 and m+6, respectively,there will be combined, for synthesis, frames m+2, m+3 and m+4corresponding to the times at which the frames n+2, n+3 and n+4 shown inFIG. 20A are read in. Therefore, the synthesizer 30 will provide theframes n, n+1, (n+2)+(m+2), (n+3)+(m+3), (n+4)+(m+4), n+5 and n+6 asshown in FIG. 20C as output video data.

[0175]FIGS. 21A, 21B and 21C, and FIGS. 22A, 22B and 22Cdiagrammatically illustrate examples of recorded picture, real-timeworld view and output picture (synthetic picture). It should be notedthat in the following description, the “character” is a moving part of apicture such as a person or car and “background” is a part of thepicture, shown behind the character. The recorded picture shown in FIG.21A includes characters 101 and 102 related to the contents of a scene,as images read as details of a content from the disc 90. The real-timeworld view shown in FIG. 21B is a view of mountains in the forenoon,including the sun 111, cloud 112 and mountains for example. Combinationof these pictures will produce a synthetic output picture as shown inFIG. 21C, including the characters 101 and 102 with the view of themountains in the forenoon (sun 111, cloud 112 and mountains 113) in thebackground. By combining a recorded picture as shown in FIG. 22A with areal-time world view being a view of mountains in the midnight forexample as shown in FIG. 22B, there is produced a synthetic outputpicture as shown in FIG. 22C, including the characters 101 and 102 withthe view of mountains in the midnight (mountains 113 and moon 114) inthe background. Therefore, the same content can be combined with each ofreal-time world views supplied from the same camera 50 in the time zonesto produce a synthetic picture with each of the different views in thebackground as shown in FIGS. 21C and 22C. Also, the same content can becombined with a real-time world view supplied from another camera 50 toproduce a synthetic picture with another view in the background, whichis not illustrated.

[0176] For producing a synthetic picture from a recorded picture andreal-time world view as having been described with reference to FIG. 20,frames of the recorded picture and real-time world view may be combinedsimply or using key signals such as chroma-key signals. In the lattercase, a view should be prepared in a blue screen as a recorded picturein advance for synthesis, and combined with a real-time world view.Also, in case a recorded picture is a normal picture, parts thereofcorresponding to characters should be clipped and the clipped parts becombined with a real-time world view. In this case, successive frames ofthe recorded picture are compared with each other, and a part varyinglittle should be used as a background while a part showing a largemovement be combined with a real-time world view. For such a synthesis,the synthesis type information shown in FIG. 20 is extended as follows:

[0177] “0” No synthesis

[0178] “1” Simple synthesis

[0179] “2” Synthesis using the chroma key signals

[0180] “3” Synthesis using the clipping

[0181] and a recorded picture and real-time world information should becombined for synthesis according to the synthesis type information.

[0182] An example of the combination of a recorded picture and areal-time world view taken by one camera 50 for synthesis has beendescribed above with reference to FIG. 20. However, the recorded picturemay be combined with real-time world views taken by a plurality ofcameras 50. For this purpose, the synthesizer 30 is provided with aframe memory for the recorded picture and frame memories for theplurality of real-time world views, and thus each of frame data canselectively be read at a time corresponding to the recorded image asshown in FIG. 20 to produce an output video data. Also, in this case, anoutput video data can be produced by alternating the frame data of therecorded picture and those of the real-time world view with each otherin a data stream.

[0183] Since a content reproduced from the disc 90 and a real-time worldview taken by the camera 50 are combined to produce a synthetic outputpicture as above, the background of the content can be formed from thereal-time world view. Therefore, a real-time world view will provide thesame content which will appear different each time it is viewed. Also,since a real-time world view from the camera 50 is taken for combinationwith a content recorded in the disc 90, no other background picture isrequired so that it is possible to efficiently utilize the limitedstorage capacity of the disc 90.

B. Second Embodiment

[0184] In the first embodiment having been described in the foregoingwith reference to the flow chart in FIG. 15, each time the disc 90 isloaded, the disc drive 80 accesses the server 60 and downloads anaddress table. By storing an address table once received from the server60, it is unnecessary to download the address table so many times,namely, each time the disc 90 is loaded.

[0185] That is, the disc drive 80 has the RAM 41 or flash memory 46 inwhich address tables downloaded from the server 60 may be stored incorrelation with disc IDS. For reproducing a content from the same discat a next time, access may be made to the camera based on the addresstable stored in the RAM 41 or the like. It should be noted that forholding an address table for a relatively long time at the disc drive80, the address table should preferably be stored in a nonvolatilememory such as the flash memory 46, not in the RAM 41 or written to thedisc 90.

[0186] The operations for the above will be described below withreference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 23. In FIG. 23, stepsindicated with the same references as in FIG. 15 are the same as thosein FIG. 15 and so will not be described any longer here. As shown inFIG. 23, when the disc 90 loaded in step S5 is judged to be acamera-interlocked one, the system controller 10 goes to step S30 whereit will retrieve an address table corresponding to a disc ID read fromTOC in the disc 90. That is, the disc drive 80 has a memory area, or theflash memory 46, for storage of address tables, and address tableshaving once been downloaded from the server 60 are stored in correlationwith disc IDS. In step S30, such a disc ID is used to retrieve a onecorresponding to a currently loaded disc from address tables stored inthe flash memory 46.

[0187] In case there is available an address table having beendownloaded from the server 60 and stored and which corresponds to thedisc 90 (disc ID) currently loaded, the operations in step S11 andsubsequent steps should be effected as in FIG. 15 based on the retrievedaddress table.

[0188] Note that no address table corresponding to the loaded disc 90can be extracted with the retrieval in step S30 in some cases, forexample, when the disc 90 is initially loaded in the disc drive 80. Incase no address table can be retrieved with the retrieval in step S30,which is not shown in FIG. 23, an address table will be downloaded fromthe server 60 as in the first embodiment. Namely, the system controller10 will go to step S6 and subsequent steps in FIG. 15.

[0189] As above, an address table downloaded from the server 60 isstored into the disc drive 80. However, the address table recorded inthe server 60 will be updated as necessary. In this case, the addresstable stored in the disc drive 80 has to updated correspondingly. Tothis end, when the disc 90 is loaded in the disc drive 80, the addresstable should be updated correspondingly to the address table update inthe server 60. For updating an address table, the disc ID, cameraaddress and date-of-update information in the address table are managedin correlation with each other in both the disc drive 80 and server 60.

[0190]FIG. 24 shows a flow chart explaining an example of the procedureincluding operations made by the system controller 10 for updating anaddress table in the disc drive 80. The updating procedure explainedwith reference to the flow chart in FIG. 24 is a one executed when thedisc 90 is loaded in the disc drive 80. In FIG. 24, the same operationsteps as in FIG. 15 are indicated with the same references as in FIG.15.

[0191] After the data communication with the server 60 is started and adisc ID is sent by the operations in steps S1 to S8, the systemcontroller 10 judges in step S40 whether date-of-update information onan address table has bee received from the server 60 in response to thesent disc ID. When the result of judgment is that the date-of-updateinformation has been received, the system controller 10 goes to step S41where it will retrieve an address table corresponding to the disc IDfrom the flash memory 46 or the like in the disc drive 80. Thus, thedate-of-update information on the address table recorded in the flashmemory 46 or the like is detected.

[0192] Further, in step S42, the system controller 10 compares thereceived date-of-update information and retrieved date-of-updateinformation with each other. When the result of judgment is that thereceived date-of-update information is a newer one, the systemcontroller 10 goes to step S43 where it will request the server 60 tosend an address table. In step S44, the system controller 10 judgeswhether an address table has been received from the server 60 inresponse to the sending request. When the result of judgment is that theaddress table has been received, the system controller 10 goes to stepS45 where it will update the address table recorded in the flash memory46 or the like with the received address table. In step S11, the systemcontroller 10 initializes the pointer for the thus updated addresstable, and goes to steps S12, S13, S14, S15, S16 and S17 for theprocedure for connection to the camera. When it is judged in step S42that the received date-of-update information is not any newer one, thesystem controller 10 goes to step S11 where it will initialize thepointer for the address table retrieved from the flash memory 46 or thelike in step S41, and the goes to a procedure for connection to thecamera.

[0193] By updating the address table in a part of the initializingprocedure made when the disc is loaded for example, the connection tothe camera can be done based on a camera address shown in the latestaddress table.

[0194] Updating of the address table has been described above as a partof the initialization made when the disc 90 is loaded, for example, withreference to FIG. 24. However, the system may be adapted such that in anenvironment in which communication is always possible between the discdrive 80 and server 60, the address table can be updated at any time. Inthis case, comparison in date-of-update information is made as to alladdress tables recorded in the flash memory 46 or the like to alwayskeep latest address tables in the flash memory 46 or the like. Thus,when the operations shown in the flow chart in FIG. 23 are made, thedisc drive 80 can be connected to a camera based on a latest addresstable.

[0195]FIG. 25 shows a flow chart explaining an example of the procedureincluding operations made by the controller 63 in the server 60 when thedisc drive 80 can update an address table as having been described abovewith reference to FIG. 24. It should be noted that in FIG. 25, the sameoperation steps as in FIG. 17 are indicated with the same references asin FIG. 17. As shown, the controller 63 judges, in step S101, whetherthe server 60 has received a connection request from the disc drive 80.When the result of judgment is that the server 60 has received theconnection request, the controller 63 goes to step S102 where it willjudge whether the server 60 has detected a disc ID sent from the discdrive 80. When the result of judgment is that the server 60 has detectedthe disc ID, the controller 63 sends, in step S111, date-of-updateinformation on an address table corresponding to the disc ID to the discdrive 80. Thus, the disc drive 80 will operate as in step S42 in FIG.24. In step S112, the controller 63 judges based on the receiveddate-of-update information whether the server 60 has received a requestfor address table updating. When the result of judgment is that theserver 60 has received the address table update request, the controller63 goes to step S103 where it will send an address table correspondingto the disc ID detected in step S102.

[0196] As above, the server 60 can send a latest address table to thedisc drive 80. Therefore, with the address table updated in the server60, a latest address table is available to the disc drive 80 that canmake data communications with the server 60 via the network 110.

C. Third Embodiment

[0197] According to the third embodiment of the present invention, areal-time world view is acquired in a time zone corresponding to detailsof a content which is reproduced by the disc drive 80.

[0198] In case a view in the forenoon is considered to be suitable as areal-time world view corresponding to a content, a view in the forenoonshould desirably be synthesized irrespectively of any time zone of theday (forenoon, afternoon and midnight) in which a content is reproduced.To this end, the address table should be configured to select adestination camera correspondingly to a time zone in which a content isreproduced, for example, taking a time difference in consideration.

[0199]FIG. 26 shows an example of the address table listing cameraaddresses corresponding to time zones in which a content is reproduced.Based on this address table for example, a real-time world view isacquired as a forenoon view corresponding to details of a contentreproduced by the disc drive 80 irrespectively of any time zone in whichthe content is reproduced. In the address table in FIG. 26, a cameraaddress is listed for each of time zones such as “forenoon”, “afternoon”and “midnight” in which a content is reproduced by the disc drive 80. Itshould be noted that three camera addresses are listed for one time zoneof content reproduction because the same view can be shot by at leastthree cameras 50 against any fault as having previously been describedwith reference to FIG. 5.

[0200] The camera addresses #1, #2 and #3 are those accessed when acontent is reproduced by the disc drive 80 in the forenoon. That is,each of these addresses is that of the camera 50 installed in a locationwhere it is the forenoon while it is also the forenoon where the discdrive 80 is. In other words, the cameras 50 at these addresses arelocated with little difference in time from the disc drive 80reproducing a content. From any of the cameras at these addresses, aview in the forenoon is to be acquired when the disc drive 80 reproducesa content in the forenoon. Also, the camera addresses #4, #5 and #6 arethose accessed when a content is reproduced by the disc drive 80 in theafternoon. That is, each of these addresses is that of the camera 50installed in a region or country where it is the forenoon while it isthe afternoon where the disc drive 80 is. From any of the cameras 50 atthese addresses, a view in the forenoon is to be acquired when the discdrive 80 reproduces a content in the afternoon. Further, the cameraaddresses #7, #8 and #9 are those accessed when a content is reproducedby the disc drive 80 in the midnight. That is, each of these addressesis that of the camera 50 installed in a region or country where it isthe forenoon while it is the midnight where the disc drive 80 is. Formany of the cameras at these addresses, a view in the forenoon is to beacquired when the disc drive 80 reproduces a content in the midnight.

[0201] For downloading such an address table to the disc drive 80 andconnecting the latter to a camera, a camera address pointer should beset based on the current time kept by the time keeper 37 for example.Therefore, the camera address pointer is set as shown in the flow chartin FIG. 27. As in the flow chart shown in FIG. 15, operations in stepsS1 to S10 are effected after the disc is loaded in the disc drive 90. Inthis example, in step S10, the system controller 10 reads an addresstable as in FIG. 26 into the memory, then goes to step S701 where itwill judge in which time zone the current time kept by the time keeper37 is, the forenoon, afternoon or midnight. When the result of judgmentis that the current time is in the time zone of the forenoon, the systemcontroller 10 goes to step S702 where it will initialize the pointers bysetting the index pointer to “1”, camera address pointer to “1” and themaximum value of camera address pointer to “3”. Alternatively, when theresult of judgment in step S701 is that the current time is in the timeof zone of the afternoon, the system controller 10 goes step S703 whereit will set the index pointer to “1”, camera address pointer to “4” andthe maximum value of camera address pointer to “6”. Otherwise, when theresult of judgment in step S701 is that the current time is in the timezone of the midnight, the system controller 10 goes to step S704 whereit will set the index pointer to “1”, camera address pointer to “7”, andthe maximum value of camera address pointer to “9”. After each of thesesteps S702, S703 and S704, the system controller goes to step S12.

[0202] Thus, for example, a real-time world view can be obtained as anafternoon view corresponding to a content independently of any time zoneof content reproduction, that is, of a time zone during which thecontent is to be reproduced at the disc drive 80. More particularly, insteps S12 to S16, the following operations will be done. When thecurrent time (time zone of content reproduction) at the disc drive 80 isincluded in the forenoon, the camera address pointer is any of “1” to“3” and so a real-time world view in the forenoon is provided. When thecurrent time (time zone of content reproduction) at the disc drive 80 isin the afternoon, the camera address pointer is any of “4” to “6” andthus a real-time world view in the forenoon is provided. Further, whenthe current time (time zone of content reproduction) at the disc drive80 is in the midnight, the camera address pointer is any of “7” to “9”and so a real-time world view in the forenoon is provided. It should benoted that the above example is of course applied to a case where thedetails of a content itself need a real-time world view in the forenoonfor combination therewith. When the content itself has been preparedwith consideration to a real-time world view in the midnight forcombination therewith, the aforementioned address table is a one havingbeen prepared to provide an address of the camera 50 which provides thereal-time world view in the midnight irrespectively of any current time(time zone of content reproduction) at the disc drive 80.

[0203] In the foregoing, the management of camera addressescorresponding to the time zones of reproduction at the disc drive,forenoon, afternoon and midnight, with the same address table has beendescribed as an example with reference to FIGS. 26 and 27. In this case,address tables corresponding to the time zones such as forenoon,afternoon and midnight for example are prepared and stored individuallyin the server 60. When the disc drive 80 sends a request for connection,disc ID and information on the current time kept by the time keeper 37to the server 60. The server 60 selects an address table according tothe received disc ID and current-time information and sends it to thedisc drive 80, and thus the disc drive 80 can acquire an address tablecorresponding to the current time (time zone of content reproduction).However, if the server 60 knows the location of the disc drive 80(country/region) and can discriminate the current time at the disc drive80 taking a time difference in consideration, the disc drive 80 has notto send the current-time information to the server 60.

[0204] Note that the address table may be prepared to have any otherconfiguration. In the aforementioned example, the address table isconfigured so that a real-time world view in a time zone correspondingto the details of a content can be acquired. Namely, when for example aview in the forenoon is suitable for the details of a content, theaddress table allows the disc drive 80 to always acquire a real-timeworld view in the forenoon irrespectively of the time zone in which thecontent is reproduced. On the contrary, the address table may beconfigured so that a real-time world view at a time (time zone ofcontent reproduction) at the disc drive 80 or in a user-defined timezone is available to the disc drive 80. Namely, in the address tableshown in FIG. 26, there can be set different camera address pointerscorrespondingly to the time zones: forenoon, afternoon and midnight, inwhich the disc drive 80 reproduces a content, respectively. An addresstable may be configured which has set therein a camera address for eachof the time zones: forenoon, afternoon and midnight at sites where thecameras 50 are installed, respectively. Thus, the disc drive 80 canacquire, from any of the cameras 50, a view at a time corresponding tothe current time at the disc drive 80, a view in a time zone alwaysdifferent from the current time or a view in a user-defined time zone,as a real-time world view. However, it is should be noted that when anaddress table is configured for each of the time zones: forenoon,afternoon and midnight as a time at the sites where the cameras areinstalled, respectively, the address table should always be updated asthe time elapses.

[0205] Further, for acquisition of a real-time world view in a time zonecorresponding to details of a content as in the aforementioned examplein a wide region where the content is distributed to the disc drive 80from a location to another with a time difference between the locations(where the disc drive 80 is installed or commercially available), thereshould be prepared an address table corresponding to the location wherethe disc drive 80 is installed. Alternatively, it is necessary toprepare an address table which is based on a local time where the camera50 is installed and record information indicative of a time zone of apicture required for a content to the disc 90 correspondingly to thecontent. Thus, the camera 50 picking up a view required for the contentin a time zone can be selected for establishing the communications withthe camera 50.

[0206] Also a regional code may be used. In this case, the disc drive 80and disc 90 have set therein a regional code for each region in whichthey are used. The regional code is set to limit the reproducing of thedisc 80 for example and when bot the regional codes for the disc drive80 and disc 90 coincide with each other, reproducing of the disc 90 isallowed. Using this regional code, it is also possible to specify aregion in which the disc 90 is being played back for selection of ancamera address from which a suitable picture will come to the disc drive80. In this case, the address table may be configured so that thedivisions of the day, forenoon, afternoon and midnight, shown in FIG. 26correspond to those in a region for which the regional code is set. Thatis, by setting a camera address pointer based on a regional code whendownloading an address table to the disc drive 80 based on a disc ID, adifferent camera address for each region can be selected for the samescene. Also, even in case a scene having the same contents isreproduced, each of real-time world views different from one region toanother (views in the regions, for example) can be combined with thescene and thus it is possible to enjoy a view of each region. It shouldbe noted that for specifying a smaller area of a region defined with theaforementioned regional code, there may be set as subordinateinformation included in a regional code information with which thesmaller area can be specified.

D. Fourth Embodiment

[0207] The fourth embodiment is designed such that the operations of thecamera can be controlled according to a content to be reproduced. Forthe disc drive 80 to receive a real-time world view taken by the camera50, a real-time world view can be picked up correspondingly to a contentby controlling the camera 50 by zooming or the like and a pan head onwhich the camera 50 is installed.

[0208] The combination of the camera 50 and pan head is shown in theform of a block diagram in FIG. 28. As shown in FIG. 28, the camera 50is constructed nearly similarly to that shown in FIG. 3 and installed ona pan head 70. In this embodiment, the controller 57 is designed to makevideo signal processing having been described with reference to FIG. 3,controls the driving of the lens unit 51, for example, zooming,according to imaging control information (lens system controlinformation and pan head control information) received by thecommunication unit 56 from the disc drive 80 for example, and controlthe movements, such as panning, tilting and the like, of the pan head70.

[0209] A content recorded in the disc 90 includes imaging controlinformation. Similarly to the synthesis identification informationhaving been described with reference to FIG. 20, the imaging controlinformation is superposed on a recorded video signal in units of a framefor example, and extracted in the video data decoder 29 in the discdrive 80. The thus extracted imaging control information (lens systemcontrol information and pan head control information) is sent to thecamera via the communication unit 31. Under the lens system controlinformation as the imaging control information, the controller 57 in thecamera 50 can control the lens unit 51 to drive the lens for zooming forexample. Also, the controller 57 can supply the pan head 70 with panbead control information as to angling of the camera 50, supplied fromthe communication unit 56.

[0210] The camera 50 is installed on the pan head 70. As shown, the panhead 70 incorporates a drive 71 to change of the viewing angle of thecamera 50 and a controller 72 to control the driving operation of thedrive 71. Under the imaging control information supplied from thecontroller 57 in the camera 50, the controller 72 controls the drivingoperation of the drive 71 in the pan head 70. In this way, the camera 50can be changed in viewing angle, namely, it can be directed upward,downward, rightward and leftward (that is, panned and tilted). It shouldbe noted that by controlling the communication unit 31 to send the lenssystem control information and pan head control information, separately,from the disc drive 80, the pan head control information can be sentdirectly to the pan head 70.

[0211]FIG. 29 is a schematic drawing explaining the imaging controlinformation superposed on each frame of recorded video data suppliedfrom the video data decoder 29 to the synthesizer 30. In the exampleshown in FIG. 29, zooming command information as lens system controlinformation and rightward-turn command information as pan head controlinformation are superposed along with synthesis identificationinformation on a frame n+2 for example. Therefore, the frame n+2 isdecoded in the video data decoder 29, the zooming command informationand rightward-turn command information are extracted and sent from thecommunication unit 31. So, the camera 50 is driven for zooming and thepan head 70 is controlled to drive the camera 50 for turning the viewangle of the camera 50 to the right. Thus, the real-time world view tobe supplied to the disc drive 80 will be a larger one than a picturenormally taken with the camera 50 not driven for zooming and cover aview to the right side of the normally taken picture. That is, bysetting the imaging control information correspondingly to a content, itis possible to specialize the real-time world view taken by the samecamera 50 only for the content in consideration.

[0212] Note that synthesis identification information may be managed inthe address table. In this case, synthesis identification informationshould be recorded correspondingly to camera address information asshown in FIG. 30. Thus, the disc drive 80 can select a synthesistechnique for each scene, for example, corresponding to indexinformation. Also in this case, lens system control information and panhead control information should be recorded correspondingly to cameraaddress information. When reproducing a content in the disc drive 80,zooming control and angle control can be done for each scene toreproduced in the disc drive 80 by sending lens system controlinformation and pan head control information corresponding to the sceneto the camera 50.

[0213] Also, camera address and imaging control information may bemanaged in the lead-in area of the disc 90. Thus, the camera address andimaging control information can be made to correspond to each contentrecorded in the disc 90 and a camera can be selected for the content.Further, when reproducing a content, a real-time world view varyingdepending upon imaging control information can be acquired from the samecamera by making imaging control information correspond to a segment.

[0214]FIG. 31 explains an example of management of camera address andimaging control information in the lead-in area of the disc 90. In theindex information, there are recorded imaging control informationcorresponding to a segment along with start time and end time assegmental information (program, chapter or scene). By recording a cameraaddress corresponding to a content as link information, it is possibleto inform the disc drive 80 of a camera with which the disc drive 90 isto make data communications. Therefore, when the disc 90 having alead-in area formed thereon as shown in FIG. 31 is loaded in the discdrive 80, the latter will start data communications with the camera 50based on the camera address to reproduce the content. Then, the discdrive 80 sends, to the camera 50, imaging control informationcorresponding to each scene, such as “zoom-in” when a scene beingreproduced is a scene #1 for example, “zoom-out” for a scene #2 and“tilt-up” for a scene #3. Namely, as the time elapses with thereproduction of a content, the disc drive 80 can sequentially sendimaging control information corresponding to a content to the camera 50.

[0215]FIG. 32 shows a flow of operations made by the system controller10 in the disc drive 80 having loaded therein the disc 90 having thelead-in area formed thereon as shown in FIG. 31. In FIG. 32, stepstaking the same numbers as in the flow chart shown in FIG. 15 are thesame steps as in the flow chart in FIG. 15. That is, when it is judgedin step S1 that the disc 90 has been loaded in the disc drive 80, thesystem controller 10 goes to step S2 where it will discriminate thedisc, to step S3 where it will read in TOC data, and then to step S4where it will detect a camera interlock ID flag. When the systemcontroller 10 judges in step S5 that the loaded disc 90 is acamera-interlocked one, it goes to step S801 where it will detect acamera address from the lead-in area of the disc 90. Then in step S802,the system controller 10 starts data communications with the camera 50based on the camera address. Thus, the disc drive 80 is supplied withreal-time world video data from the camera 50. Further in step S803, thesystem controller 100 starts reproducing a content, and sends, in stepS804, imaging control information corresponding to the content beingreproduced to the camera 50. It should be noted that when the loadeddisc 90 is judged in step S5 not to be any camera-interlocked one, thesystem controller 10 goes to step S805 where it will simply reproducethe content for example.

[0216] With the above operations, the system controller 10 allows thedisc drive 80 to make data communications with the camera 50corresponding to a content recorded in the disc 90 loaded in the discdrive 80 and acquire a real-time world view. Then, the imaging controlinformation controls the camera 50 to make various imaging operations inorder to acquire a different real-time world view for each scene forexample. This will be described below with reference to FIG. 6. Forusing a picture of a city as a background for a content, the address ofthe camera 50 a is recorded in the lead-in area shown in FIG. 31. Byrecording imaging control information as necessary, it is possible tozoom in, or change the angle of view of, the city image as the real-timeworld view for each scene. That is, while the disc drive 80 isreproducing a content, it will be able to acquire a different picturefor each scene for example from the same camera 50 a. It should be notedthat for recording two or more contents in a single disc 90, the discdrive 90 may be set to make data communications with a different camera50 for each of the contents, respectively. In this case, a cameraaddress corresponding to each content should be recorded in the lead-inarea for example.

E. Fifth Embodiment

[0217] The fifth embodiment is intended to store an address table in adisc. In the aforementioned embodiments, an address table as informationfor linkage with the camera 50 is managed in the server 60 anddownloaded to the disc drive 80 whenever necessary. In this embodiment,however, an address table is managed in the disc 90. That is, the disc90 has a content and an address table corresponding to the contentrecorded therein in advance. The disc drive 80 communicates with thecamera 50 based on the address table read from the disc 90, receives areal-time world view, combines it with content data read from the disc90, and outputs the thus synthesized image. In this case, the system canbe designed to make the server 60 unnecessary for any operation based onthe address table. However, the server 60 is still necessary for dataupdate which will be described in detail later.

[0218] In this embodiment, an address table shown in FIG. 5 or 30 isrecorded in TOC or the like in the lead-in area for example in the disc90. For shifting to the reproduction of a content after loading the disc90 in the disc drive, 80, the latter should read the address table fromTOC for communication with an appropriate camera. This procedure isgiven as the flow chart shown in FIG. 33 for example. As will be seen,the flow chart in FIG. 33 is different from that in FIG. 15 in that stepS901 is substituted for steps S6 to S10 in FIG. 15. That is to say, whenthe system controller 10 judges in step S5 that the loaded disc 90 is acamera-interlocked one, it goes to step S901 where it will read in anaddress table recorded in the disc 90. In step S11, the systemcontroller 10 initializes the index pointer and camera address pointer.The subsequent steps are similar to those indicated with the samereferences in FIG. 15.

[0219] By recording an address table in the disc 90 as above, the systemcontroller 10 has not to make operations for the communication with theserver 60 as having been described with reference to FIG. 15 (steps S6to S10). Thus, the disc drive 80 can operate with a less load appliedthereto and rapidly shift to the operations for communication with thecamera.

[0220] An address table can be recorded in another place on the disc 90.As an optical disc, a so-called partial ROM disc is known in which thestorage area formed therein is divided into a read-only area (ROM area)and a rewritable area (RAM area). Such a partial ROM disc is used torecord a content which needs not to be rewritten, for example, to theROM area, and an address table to the RAM area. Thus, the disc drive 80can make data communications with a camera without having to effect anycommunications with the server 60, as having been described withreference to the flow chart in FIG. 31.

[0221] Also, an address table recorded in the RAM area of the disc 90can be updated. In this case, the table address is recorded along withdate-of-update information to the RAM area. The date-of-updateinformation recorded in the RAM area of the disc 90 is compared withthat recorded in the server 60, as having previously been described withreference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 24, and when the result ofcomparison shows that the date of update information in the server 60 isnewer, an address table is downloaded from the server 60 to the discdrive 80 to update the address table recorded in the RAM area of thedisc 90. With these operations for updating, it is possible to record alatest address table in the disc 90. Thus, the disc 90 can show a latestaddress table to the disc drive 80 in which it is loaded.

[0222] Incidentally, when data is recorded as an address table to thedisc 90 in the disc drive 80 shown in FIG. 2, first the received addresstable is subjected to error correction in the error-correction circuit32, and then it is encoded according to a format of data recording tothe disc 90 to produce write data (write pulse). The write data issupplied to the laser driver 18 which is thus controlled to output alaser power whose level is for data recording. A laser light thusproduced is projected through the objective lens 2 to the recordinglayer of the disc 90, thereby permitting to record the address table tothe disc 90.

F. Sixth Embodiment

[0223] The sixth embodiment of the present invention is such that thedisc drive communicates with a camera whose address has been entered ordefined by the user, is supplied with a real-time world view from thecamera, combines the picture with content data reproduced from the disc,and outputs the thus synthesized data. In the aforementioned embodimentsof the present invention, there are managed addresses of cameras towhich the disc drive is connected based on an address table. With thissixth embodiment, however, the user can freely select a real-time worldview by operating the control panel 38 provided at the disc drive 80.This embodiment may be designed to perform without any server 60. Also,the embodiment may be adapted to use no address table or use an addresstable in parallel with the user's operation.

[0224] The system may be adapted to enter a camera address by the useroperating the control panel 38 or the like to enter a value as a cameraaddress or to produce a video signal for displaying a menu guide forselection of a real-time world view and supply it to the monitor. Bymaking it possible for the user to select a real-time world view, theuser arrange a content for his or her enjoyment. Namely, the user canenjoy a real-time world view taken by the camera at each time as abackground of the content. Also, the system may be adapted such that incase the user can select a real-time world view, the history ofreal-time world view selections can be managed and a camera addresshaving been selected most frequently can be preferentially selected forthe disc drive to communicate with the camera at that address.Information on the history of real-time world view selections may berecorded to the flash memory 46 of the disc drive 80 or to the disc 90in correlation with for example disc ID. Thus, a real-time world viewthe user prefers and having been selected most frequently canautomatically be selected based on the information on the history ofreal-time world view selections.

G. Seventh Embodiment

[0225] The aforementioned first to third embodiments of the presentinvention basically concern the access to the camera 50 based on anaddress table corresponding to a disc ID. That is, an address table isprepared for each disc 90. According to this seventh embodiment, theserver 60 has a keyword-managed address table and the disc 90 hasrecorded therein a keyword corresponding to a content also recordedtherein. The disc drive 80 is designed so that when it plays back thedisc 90, it will send a keyword corresponding to a content to bereproduced to the server 60 and receive an address table correspondingto the keyword from the server 60. Then the disc drive 80 communicateswith a camera 50 based on the address table and is supplied with areal-time world view from the camera 50. The disc drive 80 combines thereal-time world view with the content read from the disc 90 to output asynthetic video data. That is, according to the seventh embodiment, akeyword is used instead of a disc ID to identify an address table.

[0226]FIG. 36 shows index information about a content (e.g., an index ofa content or a segmental scene of the content) and a keyword recorded incorrelation with reach other in the lead-in area of the disc 90. Theindex information includes start time and end time as segmentalinformation (program, chapter or scene) and information such as “sea”,“mountain” or the like as a keyword corresponding to each segment. Itshould be noted that the capacity information, number-of-layersinformation, track-path direction, recording start/end positioninformation, camera interlock identification flag and server address aresimilar to those in the first embodiment having previously beendescribed with reference to FIG. 8.

[0227] On the other hand, the data base 62 of the server 60 has storedtherein an address table as shown in FIG. 37. The address table hasstored therein camera addresses correspondingly to the keywords “sea”,“city”, “mountain”, “street”, etc. Correspondingly to a unit No. 1included in the address table for example, camera addresses #1, #2 and#3 are stored correspondingly to the keyword “sea”. That is, the cameraaddresses #1, #2 and #3 are for cameras 50 installed at the coasts orthe like to pick up views of the sea. It should be noted that theplurality of camera addresses such as #1, #2 and #3 is intended to be asolution to the busy-state or fault as having previously been described.

[0228] In this case, the disc drive 80 will operate as in the flow chartshown in FIG. 34. It should be noted that the flow chart in FIG. 34 isgenerally the same as that in FIG. 15 and the same steps as in FIG. 15are indicated with the same references (steps S1 to S7 and S9 to S18).That is, the flow chart in FIG. 34 is different from that in FIG. 15 inthat step S1000 is substituted for step S8 in FIG. 15. After requestingthe sever 60 for communications, the disc drive 80 goes to step S1000where it will send a keyword recorded in the disc 90 as shown in FIG.36. After an address table is received, there will be effected the sameoperations as in steps S10 to S18 in FIG. 15.

[0229] On the other hand, the controller 63 of the server 60 willoperate as in the flow chart shown in FIG. 35. In step S101, the server60 stands by and its controller 63 judges whether the server 60 hasreceived a connection request sent from the disc drive 80 via thenetwork 110. When the server 60 stands by and its controller 63 judgesthat the server 60 has received the connection request from the discdrive 80, it goes to step S121 where it will cause the server 60 tostart data communications with the disc drive 80 having sent theconnection request and judge whether the server 60 has received akeyword sent from the disc drive 80. When the controller 63 judges instep S121 that the server 60 has detected the keyword, it goes to stepS122 where it will retrieve an address table corresponding to thedetected keyword from the data base 62. That is, the controller 63retrieves an address table unit with which the keyword agrees as shownin FIG. 37.

[0230] After retrieval of the address table unit in step S122, thecontroller 63 goes to step S104 where it will control the communicationunit 61 to send the selected address table unit towards the disc drive80 having sent the connection request. This will be a response to thedisc drive 80 from which the server 60 has received the connectionrequest. After the address table is sent, the controller 63 causes theserver 60 to terminate the communication with the disc drive 80 fromwhich the server 60 has received the connection request. Thus, the discdrive 80 can acquire an address table as a single or a plurality ofaddress table units corresponding to a keyword.

[0231] Therefore, the disc drive 80 can make data communications with anappropriate camera 50 according to contents (keyword) of a scene or thelike to be reproduced from the disc 90, and receive a real-time worldview from the camera 50. With these operations, the disc drive 80 cancombine a background picture designated with the keyword and suitablefor the contents of the scene with a recorded picture to output asynthetic image.

[0232] Note that in the above example, the key is prerecorded in thedisc 90 but it may be information rewritable or not rewritable in thedisc 90. In case the keyword is rewritable information, the user canacquire a desired background picture by rewriting the keyword to adesired one. Also, there may be prepared only a recording area (ormanagement structure) for a keyword in the disc 90 so that the user canfreely set the keyword. Further, a keyword may be recorded not in thedisc 90 but in the RAM 41 or flash memory 46. At this time, a keywordmay be stored correspondingly to a disc ID or the user may set thekeyword irrespectively of a content in the disc 90.

H. Eighth Embodiment

[0233] In the aforementioned first, second, third, fifth and seventhembodiments, the disc drive 80 acquires an address table in any form tocommunicate with the camera 50. According to the eighth embodiment,however, the disc drive 80 does not directly handle any address tablebut the server 60 manages the communications, based on an address table,between the disc drive 80 and camera 50.

[0234] That is, an address table is stored in the data base 62 in theserver 60. The disc drive 80 sends a disc ID for the disc 90 to beplayed back to the server 60. The server 60 retrieves an address tablebased on the disc ID, and manages the communications between anappropriate camera 50 and disc drive 80. Namely, the address tableitself is supplied to the disc drive 80.

[0235] In this case, the disc drive 80 will operate as in the flow chartshown in FIG. 38. It should be noted that the flow chart in FIG. 38 isgenerally the same as that in FIG. 15 and the same steps as in FIG. 15are indicated with the same references (steps S1 to S8, and S18). Theflow chart in FIG. 38 is different from that in FIG. 15 in that stepS1001 is substituted for steps S9 to 17 in FIG. 15. Namely, theoperations down to step S8, that is, until a disc ID is sent in responseto a correction request to the server 60, are the same as in FIG. 15.After step S8, the system controller 10 of the disc drive 80 goes tostep S1001 where the disc drive 80 stands by and the system controllerjudges whether a communication has been established with a camera 50.When the disc drive 80 receives a real-time world view from the camera50, it goes to step S18 where it will start reproduce a content. Thatis, the system controller 10 in the disc drive 80 does not control thecommunications with the camera but simply waits until a communicationwith the camera 50 is established and a real-time world view is sentfrom the camera 50.

[0236] On the other hand, the controller 63 of the server 60 operates asin the flow chart shown in FIG. 39. In step S131, the server 60 standsby and its controller 63 judges whether the server 60 has received aconnection request from the disc drive 80 via the network 110. When thecontroller 63 judges that the server 60 has received the connectionrequest, it goes to step S132 where it will cause the server 60 to startdata communications with the disc drive 80 from which the connectionrequest has been received and judge whether the server 60 has received adisc ID from the disc drive 80. When the controller 63 judges that theserver 60 has detected the disc ID, it goes to step S133 where it willacquire the current time. For this purpose, a time keeper is provided inthe server 60 for example to acquire the current time kept by the timerkeeper. It should be noted that current time information may be receivedfrom the disc drive 80. Next in step S134, the controller 63 of theserver 60 retrieves an address table from the data base 62 on the basisof the received disc ID and acquired current time.

[0237] Note that with the address table having been described concerningthe first embodiment with reference to FIG. S can be retrieved from thedisc ID only. Also, in case contents of an address table correspondingto a disc ID are correlated with a time (time zone) as having beendescribed concerning the third embodiment, an address table (cameraaddress) can be retrieved from the disc ID and current time. Further,when IP addresses of cameras 50 installed over the world, time andweather at the installed places and connected states of the cameras arestored in the data base 62 and they are real-time updated, it ispossible to identify a camera 50 from which an optimum real-time worldview can be acquired and judge whether the server 60 can be connected tothe camera 50. In this case, the camera address can be retrieved by anyconventional method such as the web retrieval site, dictionary retrievalor the like. Furthermore, the retrieval object is not limited to datamanaged by the server 60.

[0238] The controller 63 of the server 60 retrieves an appropriateaddress table. When it has acquired the address of a camera 50 withwhich the server 60 should be connected, it controls the communicationunit 61 to sent a connection request to the camera 50 at the acquiredcamera address. However, the connection request is issued from the discdrive 80.

[0239] The camera 50 operates as in the first embodiment having beendescribed with reference to FIG. 18 to communicate with the server 60 inresponse to the connection request from the disc drive 80, sent from theserver 60. Thus, the disc drive 80 will be supplied with a real-timeworld view from the camera 50 as having previously been described. Withthe operations having been described with reference to FIG. 19, the discdrive 80 combines the real-time world view sent from the camera 50 withrecorded video data reproduced from the disc 90, and outputs a syntheticimage.

[0240] Note that in this embodiment, it is judged based on the retrievalof the data base whether the camera 50 is connectable to the server 60but in case the data base does not include any information on whetherthe server 60 can communicate with an appropriate cameras 50, the server60 may make pointer-setting operations to identify a camera 50 withwhich it can communicate, namely, those made by the disc drive 80 insteps S11 to S16 in FIG. 15, and then send, in step S135, a correctionrequest from the disc drive 80 to the camera having been detected instep S134.

[0241] As above, the server 60 controls the communication between thedisc drive 80 and camera 50 and only the server 60 may hold an addresstable for the communication control in this embodiment. That is, theeighth embodiment is advantageous in that the server 60 can intensivelymanage address tables and the disc drive 80 has not to control its owncommunication with the camera 50, receive and update any address table.

[0242] Note that for the communication between the disc drive 80 andcamera 50, namely, for sending a real-time world view, the camera 50 maysend the picture directly to the disc drive 80 or the camera 50 may sendit to the server 60 once and then the server 60 relays and sends it tothe disc drive 80. In a variant of this embodiment, when an appropriatecamera 50 is detected, the server 60 may send the address of the camerato the disc drive 80 and then the disc drive 80 itself may establish acommunication with the camera 50.

[0243] Also, with the operations made in the first embodiment taken asbasic ones, a real-time world view is acquired according to a time zoneof content reproduction as in the third embodiment and a real-time worldview is acquired according to a keyword as in the seventh embodiment.Based on the operations made in the eighth embodiment, however, areal-time world view can of course be acquired according to a time zoneof content reproduction or a keyword as will be described below.

I. Ninth Embodiment

[0244] This ninth embodiment of the present invention is based on theaforementioned eighth embodiment. That is, with the server 60 managingthe communication between the disc drive 80 and camera 50, a real-timeworld view of the is acquired according to details of a content to bereproduced by the disc drive 80.

[0245] When for example a view of a region in fine weather is suitableas a real-time world view for a content reproduced by the disc drive 80,a real-time world view should desirably be acquired from a camera 50installed in a region currently in fine weather. Also, for a personhaving an umbrella for example, as a character to be reproduced, areal-time world view should desirably be acquired from a camera 50installed in a region currently in rainy weather so that a rainy scenecan be used as the background for the content. In this case, the addresstable should be configured for a camera 50 in a region in appropriateweather to be selectable correspondingly to a content (scene or thelike) to be reproduced. Also, the disc 90 should have recorded thereinweather information corresponding to the scene.

[0246]FIG. 42 explains the lead-in area of the disc 90 in which thereare recorded index information of a content (such as index informationcorresponding to one content or one of segments) in correlation withweather information. As shown, the index information includes start timeand end time as segmental information (program, chapter or scene) andweather information such as “fine”, “cloudy”, “rainy”, etc.corresponding to each segment. It should be noted that capacityinformation, number-of-layers information, track path direction,recording start/end position information, camera interlockidentification flag, server address and disc ID included in this indexinformation are the same as those in the first embodiment having beendescribed with reference to FIG. 8.

[0247]FIG. 43 explains an example of the address in which there areshown camera addresses classified according to the weather at the camerasites. Based on this address table, a real-time world view can beacquired which is a weather scene corresponding to details of a content(the weather information). The address table shown in FIG. 43 showscamera addresses classified according to weather at the site of thecamera 50. It should be noted that three camera addresses are shown forsame weather because it is intended for at least three cameras 50 totake the same view when any of the cameras is faulty as having beendescribed with reference to FIG. 5.

[0248] In the address table, camera addresses #1, #2 and #3 are of thecameras 50 installed in regions currently in fine weather. Also, cameraaddresses #4, #5 and #6 are of the cameras 50 installed in regionscurrently in cloudy weather. Further, camera addresses #7, #8 and #9 areof the cameras 50 installed in regions currently in rainy weather. Itshould be noted that the address table is real-time updated. That is,the server 60 always collects weather information from each of the sitesof the cameras 50 over the world and the contents of the address table,namely, camera addresses, are updated correspondingly to the collectedweather information.

[0249] The disc drive 80 operates as shown in the flow chart in FIG. 40.In FIG. 40, the same steps as in FIG. 38 are indicated with the samereferences (steps S1 to S7, S1001 and S18). In this embodiment, afterthe system controller 10 has gone through steps S1 to S7 to make acommunication request to the server 60, it goes to step S1101 where itwill send a disc ID and weather information about each scene andcorresponding to each index information as in FIG. 42. Thereafter, instep S1001, the system controller 10 waits until a communication withthe camera 50 is established. When the communication with the camera 50is established for reception of a real-time world view, the systemcontroller 10 goes to step S18 where it will control the disc drive 80to start reproducing a content, as in FIG. 38.

[0250] On the contrary, the server 60 operates as in the flow chartshown in FIG. 41. In step S131, the server 60 stands by and itscontroller 63 judges whether the server 60 has received a connectionrequest from the disc drive 80 via the network 110. When the controller63 judges that the server 60 being on standby has received theconnection request, it goes to step S132 where it will cause the server60 to start data communications with the disc drive 80 from which theconnection request has been sent and judge whether the server 60 hasreceived a disc ID from the disc drive 80. When the controller 63 judgesthat the server 60 has received the disc ID, it goes to step S140 whereit will retrieve an address table from the data base 62 according to thereceived disc ID. That is, the controller 63 will retrieve an addresstable configured as in FIG. 43.

[0251] Next, the controller 63 sets, based on weather informationreceived along with the disc ID, a camera address pointer according toweather which is suitable for a content (scene). In step S141, avariable n indicating an index pointer is set to “1”. Then, an operationis made correspondingly to first index information #n (namely, #1) shownin FIG. 42 for example. In step S142, it is judged what the weatherinformation in the index information (scene) #1 is. When the result ofjudgment is that the weather information for the index information(scene) #1 is “fine”, the controller 63 goes to step S143 where it willinitialize the pointers are initialized in step S143 by setting theindex pointer to “n”, that is, to “1”, camera address pointer to “1” andthe maximum value of camera address pointer to “3”. Then the controllergoes to step S146. When the result of judgment in step S142 is that theweather information is “cloudy”, the controller 63 goes to step S144where it will set the index pointer to “n (=1)”, camera address pointerto “4” and the maximum value of camera address pointer to “6”. When itis judged in step S142 that the weather information is “rainy”, thecontroller 63 goes to step S145 where it will set the index pointer to“n (=1)”, camera address pointer to “7” and the maximum value of cameraaddress pointer to “9”.

[0252] Thus, the disc drive 80 can acquire a real-time world view inweather suitable for the scene #1 of the content. That is, theoperations made in steps S146 to S149 are basically the same as thosemade in steps S12 to S14 in FIG. 27. Since the camera address pointer isset to any of “1” to “3” when the weather information is “fine”, thedisc drive 80 communicates with cameras 50 installed in regions in fineweather. It should be noted that in the ninth embodiment, the server 60manages the communication between the disc drive 80 and camera 50 as inthe eighth embodiment and the operations shown in FIG. 41 are made bythe server 60. Therefore, in step S149, the server 60 sends a connectionrequest from the disc drive 80 to a camera 50 at an address designatedwith a set pointer. Correspondingly, the camera 50 will send a real-timeworld view to the disc drive 80. Since the camera address pointer is setto any of “4” to “6” when the weather information is “cloudy”,communications will be made between the disc drive 80 and a camera 50installed in a region in cloudy weather. Further, since the cameraaddress pointer is set to any of “7” to “9” when the weather informationis “rainy”, communications will be made between the disc drive 80 and acamera 50 installed in a region in cloudy weather.

[0253] Then the controller 63 of the server 60 goes to step S150 whereit will increment the variable n being a value of the index pointer andinitialize the camera address pointer. In step S151, the controller 63judges whether there exists an address table including an index pointer#n or whether operations have been complete for all scenes. When theoperations have not yet been complete, the controller 63 goes back tostep S142. Therefore, operations are made for the second indexinformation (scene) #2 shown in FIG. 42. That is, operations in steps142 to S154 are made, based on the weather information, to set an indexpointer, camera address pointer and maximum value of camera addresspointer as above, and operations in steps S146 to S149 are made toselect a camera 50 in weather corresponding to the weather informationin the index information #n (namely, #2) and thus establishcommunications between the camera 50 and disc drive 80.

[0254] With the above operations, the disc drive 80 can acquire areal-time world view in designated weather for each scene to bereproduced, and combine it with the scene to output a synthetic videodata.

[0255] Note that the address table having been described with referenceto FIG. 43 is destined to manage the camera address with a matrix of anindex pointer and weather at a camera site but the camera address may bemanaged only with weather in the camera site. That is, a camera addressis selected only based on weather information designated as weathersuitable or required for a content (scene).

[0256] Also, note that the address table shown in FIG. 43 has beendescribed concerning an example in which camera addresses correspondingto various kinds of weather are managed by the same address table butcamera addresses for various kinds of weather may be managed byrespective address tables. In this case, an address table should beretrieved based on weather information.

[0257] Also note that the aforementioned disc 90 has recorded weatherinformation for each scene (index information) but one piece of weatherinformation may be recorded for the entire disc 90. Further, the weatherinformation recorded for a content or scene in the disc 90 may berewritten by the user. For example, when an address of the camera ineach weather is stored for each index in the address table as shown inFIG. 43, for example, the disc drive 80 can acquire a real-time worldview of a region in desired weather corresponding to weather informationrewritten by the user (from “fine” to “rain”, for example).

[0258] Further, note that the weather information may not be recorded inthe disc 90. For example, the system may be designed so that when thedisc 90 is played back, the user can freely designate weather byoperating the control panel 38 and send designated weather as weatherinformation to the server 60. In this case, a real-time world view of aregion in user-defined weather can be acquired.

[0259] This embodiment is designed to acquire a real-time world view ofa region in weather suitable for details of a content to be reproduced.However, it is also possible to acquire a real-time world view inweather corresponding to weather at a site where the disc drive 80 isused, namely, at the user's location (or at a site where the server 60is installed). In this case, a function to detect weather is provided byinstalling a hygrometer on the disc drive 80 and detected weather issent as weather information to the server 60. Alternatively, the server60 may be provided with a hygrometer to detect weather.

[0260] The selection of a camera 50 according to weather may be adoptedin the first embodiment, namely, in a system in which the server 60sends an address table to the disc drive 80 which in turn will select acamera address from the address table. Further, according to the thirdembodiment, a real-time world view in a time zone corresponding to acontent to be reproduced is acquired irrespectively of a current time atthe disc drive 80. This selection of a camera may be done at the server60 as in the ninth embodiment. That is, in the third embodiment, thepointers are set to select a camera address corresponding to a currenttime in steps S701 to S16 in FIG. 27 at the disc drive 80. This pointersetting is made in steps S142 to S151 shown in FIG. 41 at the server 60.In this case, the server 60 should be able to receive time informationkept by the time keeper 37 from the disc drive 80 or the server 60should be able to keep the current time at the disc drive 80.

J. Tenth Embodiment

[0261] In the aforementioned first to ninth embodiments, the contentplayer is the disc drive 80 to read a content from the disc 90. However,a content may be downloaded from a content server or the like. The tenthembodiment is to combine a real-time world view with a contentdownloaded to the content player.

[0262]FIG. 44 is a block diagram of the reproducing system in the tenthembodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 44, the same steps as thosein the flow chart shown in FIG. 1 are indicated with the same referencesand so will not be described any longer here below. In this embodiment,the content player 81 can download content data from the content server100 via the network 110 like the personal computer and so-called MP3player.

[0263] The content player 81 is designed to include at least a storagefunction, communication function, reproducing function and a controlfunction. The storage unit is for example an HDD (hard disc drive),solid memory or a portable medium to store content data downloaded fromthe content server. The communication unit makes data communicationswith the content server 100, server 60 and camera 50 via thecommunication network 110. The reproducing unit combines content datastored in the storage unit with a real-time world view to produce asynthetic video data. The control unit controls the operations of theseunits.

[0264] The content server 100 responds to a download request from thecontent player 81 for example to send content data. At this time, thecontent server 100 sends a content ID, camera interlock identificationflag, server address (address of the server 60), etc. along with thecontent data. That is, signals downloaded from the content server 100 tothe content player 81 are ones carrying a content and informationincluding link information used by the content player 61 to access aninformation acquisition apparatus corresponding to the content. Thecontent player 81 will store the above information along with thecontent data. It should be noted that the server 60 manages theholding/management of an address table and communication between thecamera 50 and content player 81 as in the aforementioned embodiments butthe content server 100 may have these functions of the server 60. Also,it should be noted that the signals downloaded to the content player 81may be ones carrying a content and information including outputtingidentification information indicating that all or a part of data formingthe content are outputted along with data from the predeterminedinformation acquisition apparatus from the content player 81. Further itshould be noted that the signals downloaded to the content player 81 maybe ones carrying a content and information including operation controlinformation used by the content player 81 to control the operation ofthe information acquisition apparatus corresponding to the content.Moreover it should be noted that the signals downloaded to the contentplayer 81 may be ones carrying a content and information includingretrieval information used by the content player 81 to access theinformation acquisition apparatus corresponding to the informationacquisition apparatus.

[0265] When reproducing the downloaded content data, the controller ofthe content player 81 operates as in the flow chart shown in FIG. 45.When the user enters a command to reproduce a content stored in aninternal storage unit, the controller goes to step S1201 where it willjudge whether content reproduction is requested. When the result ofjudgment is that the content reproduction has been requested, thecontroller goes to step S1202 where it will detect a content ID. Furtherin step S1203, the controller detects a camera interlock identificationflag stored correspondingly to the content ID. In step S1204, thecontroller judges whether the camera interlock identification flagindicates that the content to be reproduced is a camera-interlockedcontent. When the result of judgement is “yes”, the controller goes tostep S1205 where it will read the address of the server 60. In stepS1206, the controller sends a communication request to the server 60.When the connection with the server 60 is established, the controllersends a content ID to the server 60 in step S1207.

[0266] Thereafter, in step S1208, the content player 81 stands by tojudge whether the communication with a camera 50 has been established.When the result of judgment is that the communication with the camera 50has been established and a real-time world view can be received from thecamera 50, the content player 81 starts reproducing the content in stepS1209.

[0267] On the other hand, the server 60 should operate as in the flowchart shown in FIG. 39. Namely, it retrieves an address table by the useof a content ID instead of the disc ID and acquires a camera address ofthe camera 50 with which the server 60 has to communicate. Then, thecontent player 81 sends a connection request to the camera 50 at thataddress.

[0268] The camera 50 operates according to the flow chart shown in FIG.18 as in the first embodiment. Namely, the camera 50 makescommunications in response to the connection request made by the contentplayer 81 and sent from the server 60. Thus, a real-time world view willbe sent to the content player 81 as above. The content player 81operates as in the flow chart shown in FIG. 19 to combine the real-timeworld video data sent from the camera 50 with the video data in thecontent reproduced from the storage unit and output a synthetic videodata.

[0269] As above, the present invention permits to combine a real-timeworld view with not only a content provided as a record in a disc 90 buta one downloaded via the network 110 and output a synthetic video data.Also, in the aforementioned second to ninth embodiments as well as invarious variants having been described in the description of theembodiments, the combination of a downloaded content with a real-timeworld view can be effected for reproduction of that content.

K. Applications

[0270] Various embodiments of the present invention and variants thereofhave been described in the foregoing. In addition, the present inventioncan be applied in many other forms which will be outlined here below.First of all, the disc drive 80 is used as a household content playerfor example. A content such as an advertisement information of asupermarket or opening information of a showroom for example is recordedin a disc 90, and a network system is provided for data communicationsbetween such household content player and cameras 50 installed in thesupermarket or showroom to pick up views of the shops in the supermarketor interior of the showroom. The supermarket or showroom distributes thediscs 90 to users. Each of the users can reproducing the disc 90 in hiscontent player to view the advertisement information of the supermarketor opening information of the showroom as a content and also view areal-time world view of such shops of the supermarket or interior of theshowroom.

[0271] Also, a car navigation apparatus is used as a content player(disc drive), and navigation information such as a map is recorded as acontent in a recording medium such as a disc for example. A networksystem is provided for data communications between cameras monitoringthe expressways for example and the car navigation apparatus. Thenavigation information and road conditions as real-time world view canbe combined to produce a synthetic image. Thus, while the user isdriving his car, he or she can view the synthetic image on the carnavigation apparatus to know the conditions of his desired expressways.The user can select a most appropriate course for his destination. Also,being interlocked with cameras installed in parking areas any of whichhe is going to select for parking his car, the car navigation apparatuscan display the extent of jamming with cars in such parking areas.

[0272] Also, the disc drive (content player) can be applied as a gameapparatus. In this case, for playing back a disc containing a so-calledsoftware game or for reproducing a downloaded content, a real-time worldview is combined with a character as a game picture to be a backgroundof the character. Especially, by switching cameras 50 with which thegame apparatus can communicate from one to another as the game (or gamestage) proceeds, a background image corresponding to the game proceedingor a content can be acquired.

[0273] Also, data reproduced from a disc or of a downloaded content isused as a text data, and it is combined with a real-time world view toproduce a synthetic text data having the picture as a background. Forexample, a written introduction of a region, tour, country or the likeis used as a text data. When reproducing the text data, a real-timeworld views is acquired from any of cameras 50 installed in aregion/country actually introduced, and combined with the text data. Avideo thus synthesized will provide a very effective introduction of theregion/country.

[0274] Further, sound and characters (subtitles) of a karaoke arerecorded as a content recorded in a recording medium, and a real-timeworld view supplied from a camera is combined as a background with thecontent. Thereby, it is possible to use less storage space of the discand reduce the costs for production of such background.

[0275] In the aforementioned fourth embodiment, the disc drive 80controls the operations (zooming and panning) of the cameras 50.However, the disc drive 80, not the system including the disc drive 80,may be designed to communicate directly with a single camera 50 andcombine a reproduced image with a real-time world view taken by thecamera 50 to provide a synthetic video. That is, a dedicated camera 50capable of communication, in any form, with the disc drive 80 may beprovided for the disc drive 80 to complete the system. In this example,while controlling the operations of the camera 50 as in the fourthembodiment, the disc drive 80 receives a real-time world view from thecamera 50 and combines it with a video data read from the disc toprovide a synthetic video.

[0276] In the foregoing, the embodiments of the present invention havebeen described on the assumption that the disc 90 has a content such asa movie recorded therein and the disc drive 80 combines the video dataof the content with a real-time world view taken by the camera 50 toproduce a synthetic video data. However, the disc drive 80 may bedesigned to read only sound from the disc 90 and output a picture sentfrom the camera 50. This will be useful when the disc 90 having only amusic as a content recorded therein is played back and permit to displaya real-time world view sent from the camera 50 as a background of thecontent. In this case, the real-time world view detected by the videodata decoder 33 for example should be supplied, not via the synthesizer30, to the video signal converter 34 as indicated with a dashed line inFIG. 2. Thus, the speaker 28 can be supplied with audio signals such asa music read from the disc, and the monitor 35 be supplied withreal-time world video signals from the camera 50 via the network 110.That is, the disc drive 80 can reproduce both the content in the disc 90and real-time world view without having to use the synthesizer 30.

[0277] In the foregoing, the camera 50 has been described as aninformation acquisition apparatus to acquire a real-time world view.However, the information acquisition apparatus may be a microphone toacquire a real-time world sound. In this case, a sound reproduced by adisc drive or the like may be combined with such a real-time worldsound. For example, when a sound to be reproduced is a speech or wordsfor example, it may be combined with a real-time world sound being usedas a background. Also, a picture reproduced by the disc drive or thelike may be combined with a real-time world sound to provide asynthesized video/audio data. For example, in case a picture of the seafor example is reproduced, a real-time world sound picked up by amicrophone installed at the coast of the sear may be used as the audiooutput for combination with the sea picture. Of course, theaforementioned game video, navigation video or text data video maypreferably be combined with a real-time world sound.

[0278] Also, the embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed in the foregoing taking DVD-V (digital versatile disc-video)being an optical disc as the disc 90 being a recording medium. Inaddition to the DVD-V, however, a read-only optical disc such as DVD,DVD-ROM (digital versatile disc-read-only memory), CD (compact disc),CD-ROM (compact disc-read-only memory) or video-CD (video compact disc),or a rewritable optical disc such as PD, DVD-RAM (digital versatiledisc-random-access memory) or DVD-RW (digital versatiledisc-rewritable), may be used as the disc 90. Further, the disc 90 maybe a recordable optical disc such as DVD-R (digital versatiledisc-recordable) or CD-R (compact disc-recordable). Moreover, any otherthan the above optical discs such as MO (magneto-optical) disc, amagnetic disc such as a hard disc or the like may be used as the disc90. Also, besides the above discs, a magnetic tape, removable card-typesemiconductor memory used with a computer or the like may be used as therecording medium. Therefore, the content player may be designed to becompatible with each of the above-mentioned recording media.

Industrial Applicability

[0279] As having been described in the foregoing, when reproducing acontent recorded in a recording medium or a downloaded content as firstdata, the present invention can acquire second data from an informationacquisition apparatus such as a camera corresponding to the first datavia a network, and produce third data from the first data and the seconddata. For example, first video data reproduced as a content and secondvideo data supplied from a camera or the like can be combined to producea synthetic video data. As the third data, the synthetic video data willbe different from both the first data and the second data being originaldata and thus more diversified and interesting. These data are notlimited to video ones but may be audio ones. Since a variety of seconddata can be selected for combination with the first data as a content, aresultant third data will be varied at each combination as desired. Byusing a part of output video/audio as image or sound picked by theinformation acquisition apparatus, it is possible to reduce the volumeof a content to be recorded to a recording medium or to be downloaded.

[0280] Further, since address information for data communications withthe information acquisition apparatus can be entered to the contentplayer, the user can produce a desired output data by combining acontent with the second data from an information acquisition apparatusselected according to the address information. Also, an informationacquisition apparatus can be selected for communication with the contentplayer based on a weather condition or keyword, in addition to thecorrespondence to a content to be reproduced, to receive the second datafrom an appropriate one of the information acquisition apparatuses.

[0281] When link information recorded in a recording medium loaded inthe content player is a one used to make data communications with thecontent server, the content player can make data communications with theinformation acquisition apparatus according to the address informationacquired from the server since it can acquire address information(address table) used for data communications with the informationacquisition apparatus from the content server. Also, when linkinformation recorded in a recording medium loaded in the content playeris a one used for data communications with the information acquisitionapparatus, the content player can acquire, from the recording medium, anaddress table used for data communications with the informationacquisition apparatus. In this case, the content player can make datacommunications with the information acquisition apparatus when therecording medium is loaded in the content player.

[0282] Furthermore, since operation control information included in acontent, that managed in an address table or that recorded in arecording medium can be detected and sent to the information acquisitionapparatus, the image pickup or imaging operation of the informationacquisition apparatus can be controlled. Therefore, the informationacquisition apparatus can be operated under the operation controlinformation to pickup the second data, video or audio. For example, thesecond data can be provided through an imaging operation set accordingto details of a content to be reproduced. Also, by correlating theoperation control information with each of time-segmented units of acontent, it is possible to provide the second data based on theoperation control information as the time passes in reproduction of thecontent. That is, a single information acquisition can provide variousforms of information correspondingly to a content, whereby the contentplayer can produce the third data, video or audio, which is moreinteresting.

[0283] Also, by setting the pointers to address information in anaddress table on the basis of a current time or weather information, thedata player can make data communications with each of differentinformation acquisition apparatuses according to a condition such as atime or weather even when making the data communications with theinformation acquisition apparatuses based on the same address table.Thus, an output image or sound corresponding to the time or weather canbe provided as the third data.

[0284] Further, since an address table sent from the server can berecorded to a recording medium loaded in the content player, the addresstable can be managed for each of the recording media. Furthermore, arequest for sending an address table can be made to the server accordingto address table update information recorded in the recording medium.Therefore, an address table managed by the server can be recorded to therecording medium, namely, the address table can be updated. Thus, alatest address table can always be held.

1. A recording medium having recorded therein a content, and linkinformation according to which a reproducing apparatus to reproduce thecontent accesses an information acquisition apparatus corresponding tothe content.
 2. The recording medium as set forth in claim 1, whereinthe link information is information according to which the reproducingapparatus to reproduce the content makes data communications, via acommunication network, with a server which manages address informationof the information acquisition apparatus.
 3. The recording medium as setforth in claim 1, wherein the link information is information accordingto which the reproducing apparatus to reproduce the content makes datacommunications with the information acquisition apparatus via acommunication network.
 4. The recording medium as set forth in claim 1,having recorded therein output-processing identification informationindicating that all or a part of data forming the content areoutput-processed along with data from the information acquisitionapparatus.
 5. The recording medium as set forth in claim 1, wherein thecontent is composed of time-series data.
 6. The recording medium as setforth in claim 5, having further recorded therein operation controlinformation under which the reproducing apparatus to reproduce thecontent controls operations of an information acquisition apparatuscorresponding to the content; the operation control information beingrecorded correspondingly to a segment defined by dividing the content ateach lapse of a time.
 7. A recording medium having recorded therein acontent, and output-processing identification information indicatingthat all or a part of data forming the content are output-processedalong with data from a predetermined information acquisition apparatus.8. A recording medium having recorded therein a content, and operationcontrol information under which the reproducing apparatus to reproducethe content controls operations of an information acquisition apparatuscorresponding to the content.
 9. The recording medium as set forth inclaim 8, wherein the content is composed of time-series data.
 10. Therecording medium as set forth in claim 9, wherein the operation controlinformation is recorded correspondingly to a segment defined by dividingthe content at each lapse of a time.
 11. The recording medium as setforth in claim 8, having recorded therein link information according towhich the reproducing apparatus to reproduce the content accesses theinformation acquisition apparatus.
 12. The recording medium as set forthin claim 11, wherein the link information is information according towhich the reproducing apparatus to reproduce the content makes datacommunications, via a communication network, with a server which managesaddress information of the information acquisition apparatus.
 13. Therecording medium as set forth in claim 11, wherein the link informationis address information according to which the reproducing apparatus toreproduce the content makes data communications with the informationacquisition apparatus via a communication network.
 14. A recordingmedium having recorded therein a content, and retrieval informationaccording to which the reproducing apparatus to reproduce the contentaccesses an information acquisition apparatus corresponding to thecontent.
 15. The recording medium as set forth in claim 14, wherein theretrieval information is a keyword corresponding to details of acontent.
 16. The recording medium as set forth in claim 14, wherein theretrieval information is weather information corresponding to details ofa content.
 17. A reproducing apparatus comprising: a reproducing meansfor reproducing a content; a communication means for making datacommunications with an information acquisition apparatus capable ofcommunications via a communication network; and a data output-processingmeans for producing third data based on first data reproduced by thereproducing means and second data supplied from the informationacquisition apparatus, and outputting the third data.
 18. Thereproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 17, wherein the dataoutput-processing means combines together the first data and the seconddata to produce the third data.
 19. The reproducing apparatus as setforth in claim 17, further comprising detecting means for detectingoutput-processing identification information included in the content,and wherein the data output-processing identification means produces thethird data from both the first and the second data according to theoutput-processing identification information detected by the detectingmeans.
 20. The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 17, furthercomprising means for detecting operation control information included inthe content; the communication means being designed to send theoperation control information detected by the detecting means to theinformation acquisition apparatus.
 21. The reproducing apparatus as setforth in claim 20, wherein the content is composed of time-series data;the operation control information corresponds to a segment defined bydividing the content at each lapse of a time.
 22. The reproducingapparatus as set forth in claim 17, further comprising an operatingmeans for entering address information according to which datacommunications are made with the information acquisition apparatus. 23.The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 17, wherein thereproducing apparatus reproduces a content from a recording mediumloaded therein.
 24. The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 17,wherein the reproducing means reproduces a content downloaded via thecommunication network.
 25. The reproducing apparatus as set forth inclaim 17, wherein the communication means is able to make datacommunications with a server capable of communications via acommunication network, and with the information acquisition apparatusbased on an address table sent from the server and in which the contentand address information of the information acquisition apparatus arecorrelated with each other.
 26. The reproducing apparatus as set forthin claim 25, further comprising storage means for storing an addresstable sent from the server.
 27. The reproducing apparatus as set forthin claim 26, further comprising: comparing means for comparing updateinformation for an address table sent from the server and updateinformation for an address table recorded in the storage means;requesting means for operating sending request of an address table tothe server, based on the result of comparison of the comparison means;and updating means operating in response to the sending request from therequesting means to update the address table recorded in the storagemeans based on the address table sent from the server.
 28. Thereproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein the reproducingmeans is designed to reproduce a content from a recording medium loadedtherein, and further comprising recording means for recording, into therecording medium, the address table sent from the server and in whichthe content and address information of the information acquisitionapparatus are correlated with each other.
 29. The reproducing apparatusas set forth in claim 28, further comprising comparing means forcomparing update information for the address table sent from the serverand update information for the address table recorded in the recordingmedium, and wherein the recording means is designed to update theaddress table recorded in the recording medium with the address tablesent from the server according to the result of comparison of thecomparison means.
 30. The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim25, wherein the reproducing means is designed to reproduce a contentrecorded in a recording medium loaded therein; and the communicationmeans is designed to make data communications with the server when therecording medium is loaded.
 31. The reproducing apparatus as set forthin claim 25, wherein the communication means is designed to make datacommunications according to address information given in the addresstable before the reproducing means starts reproducing the content. 32.The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein thecommunication means is designed to make data communications at any timeaccording to the address information correspondingly to the reproducedcontent after the reproducing means starts reproducing the content. 33.The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 25, further comprisingdetecting means for detecting operation control information from theaddress table, and wherein the communication means is designed to sendthe operation control information detected by the detecting means to theinformation acquisition apparatus.
 34. The reproducing apparatus as setforth in claim 25, further comprising: a time-keeping means for keepingthe current time; and pointing setting means for setting a pointer forthe address table with reference to the current time kept in thetime-keeping means.
 35. The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim25, further comprising detecting means for detecting output-processingidentification information from the address table, and wherein the dataoutput-processing means produces the third data based on both the firstdata and the second data according to the output-processingidentification information detected by the detecting means.
 36. Thereproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein thecommunication means sends, to the server, retrieval informationaccording to which the server retrieves the address table.
 37. Thereproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 36, wherein the retrievalinformation is ID information corresponding to the content.
 38. Thereproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 36, wherein the retrievalinformation is a keyword corresponding to details of the content. 39.The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 36, wherein theretrieval information is weather information corresponding to details ofthe content.
 40. The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 17,further comprising reading means for reading, from a recording mediumloaded therein, the address table in which the content and addressinformation of the information acquisition apparatus are correlated witheach other, and wherein the communication means is designed to make datacommunications with the information acquisition apparatus based on theaddress table read by the reading means from the recording medium. 41.The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 40, wherein thereproducing means is designed to start reproducing the content after thecommunication means makes data communications according to addressinformation given in the address table.
 42. The reproducing apparatus asset forth in claim 40, wherein the communication means is designed tomake data communications at any time according to the addressinformation correspondingly to the reproduced content after thereproducing means starts reproducing the content.
 43. The reproducingapparatus as set forth in claim 40, further comprising detecting meansfor detecting operation control information from the address table, andwherein the communication means is designed to send the operationcontrol information detected by the detecting means to the informationacquisition apparatus.
 44. The reproducing apparatus as set forth inclaim 40, further comprising detecting means for detecting operationcontrol information included in a content reproduced by the reproducingmeans, and wherein the communication means is designed to send theoperation control information detected by the detecting means to theinformation acquisition apparatus.
 45. The reproducing apparatus as setforth in claim 44, wherein: the content is composed of time-series data;and the operation control information corresponds to a segment definedby dividing the content at each lapse of a time.
 46. The reproducingapparatus as set forth in claim 40, further comprising: a time-keepingmeans for keeping the current time; and pointer setting means forsetting a pointer for the address table with reference to the currenttime kept in the time-keeping means.
 47. The reproducing apparatus asset forth in claim 40, further comprising detecting means for detectingoutput-processing identification information from the address table, andwherein the data output-processing identification means producing thethird data based on both the first data and the second data according tothe output-processing identification information detected by thedetecting means.
 48. The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 17,wherein the communication means is able to make data communications witha server capable of communications via a communication network whilemaking data communications with the information acquisition reproducingapparatus under the control of the server.
 49. The reproducing apparatusas set forth in claim 48 wherein the reproducing means is designed toreproduce a content recorded in a recording means loaded therein; andwherein the communication means is designed to make data communicationswith the server when the recording medium is loaded.
 50. The reproducingapparatus as set forth in claim 48, wherein the communication meanssends, to the server, retrieval information according to which anaddress table is retrieved.
 51. The reproducing apparatus as set forthin claim 50, wherein the retrieval information is ID informationcorresponding to the content.
 52. The reproducing apparatus as set forthin claim 50, further comprising a time-keeping means for keeping thecurrent time, and wherein the retrieval information is the current timekept in the time-keeping means.
 53. The reproducing apparatus as setforth in claim 50, wherein the retrieval information is a keywordcorresponding to details of the content.
 54. The reproducing apparatusas set forth in claim 50, wherein the retrieval information is weatherinformation corresponding to details of the content.
 55. A servercomprising: a communication means for making data communications with areproducing apparatus capable of data communications via a communicationnetwork; a storage means having stored therein an address table in whicha content reproducible by the reproducing apparatus and addressinformation on an information acquisition apparatus capable of datacommunications with the reproducing apparatus via the network arecorrelated with each other; and a control means for retrieving theaddress table according to retrieval information sent from thereproducing apparatus and causing the communication means to send theretrieved address table to the reproducing apparatus.
 56. The server asset forth in claim 55, wherein the retrieval information is IDinformation corresponding to the content.
 57. The server as set forth inclaim 55, wherein the retrieval information is a keyword correspondingto details of the content.
 58. The server as set forth in claim 55,wherein the retrieval information is weather information correspondingto details of the content.
 59. The server as set forth in claim 55,wherein the address table has recorded therein operation controlinformation under which operations of the information acquisitionapparatus are controlled in correlation with address information. 60.The server as set forth in claim 55, wherein the address table hasrecorded therein output-processing identification information accordingto which the first data reproduced by the reproducing apparatus incorrelation with address information and second data outputted from theinformation acquisition apparatus are output-processed.
 61. A servercomprising: a communication means for making data communications with areproducing apparatus capable of data communications via a communicationnetwork; a storage means having stored therein an address table in whicha content reproducible by the reproducing means and address informationon an information acquisition apparatus capable of data communicationswith the reproducing apparatus via a network are correlated with eachother; and a control means for retrieving the address table according toretrieval information sent from the reproducing apparatus andcontrolling communications between the reproducing apparatus andinformation acquisition apparatus based on the retrieved address table.62. The server as set forth in claim 61, wherein the retrievalinformation is ID information corresponding to the content.
 63. Theserver as set forth in claim 61, wherein the retrieval information is akeyword corresponding to details of the content.
 64. The server as setforth in claim 61, wherein the retrieval information is weatherinformation corresponding to details of the content.
 65. The server asset forth in claim 61, wherein the address table has recorded thereinoperation control information under which operations of the informationacquisition apparatus are controlled in correlation with addressinformation.
 66. The server as set forth in claim 61, wherein theaddress table has recorded therein output-processing identificationinformation according to which the first data reproduced by thereproducing apparatus in correlation with address information and thesecond data outputted from the information acquisition apparatus areoutput-processed.
 67. A reproducing method of reproducing a contentrecorded in a recording medium, comprising steps of: reproducing acontent; making data communications with an information acquisitionapparatus via a communication network; and producing third data based onfirst data reproduced in the reproducing step and second data suppliedfrom the information acquisition apparatus in the communication step,and outputting the third data.
 68. The reproducing method as set forthin claim 67, wherein in the data output-processing step, the first dataand the second data are combined to produce the third data.
 69. Thereproducing method as set forth in claim 67, further comprising a stepof detecting output-processing information corresponding to the content,and wherein both the first data and the second data are combined toproduce the third data according to the output-processing identificationinformation in the data output-processing step.
 70. The reproducingmethod as set forth in claim 67, further comprising a step of detectingoperation control information corresponding to the content, and whereinthe operation control information is sent to the information acquisitionapparatus in the communication step.
 71. The reproducing method as setforth in claim 70, wherein: the content is composed of time-series data;and the operation control information corresponds to a segment definedby dividing the content at each lapse of a time.
 72. The reproducingmethod as set forth in claim 67, further comprising an operation stepfor entering address information according to which data communicationsare made with the information acquisition apparatus.
 73. The reproducingmethod as set forth in claim 67, wherein in the reproducing step, acontent recorded in a loaded recording medium is reproduced.
 74. Thereproducing method as set forth in claim 67, wherein in the reproducingstep, a content downloaded via the communication network is reproduced.75. The reproducing method as set forth in claim 67, wherein in thecommunication step, data communications are made with a server capableof communications via a communication network, and with the informationacquisition apparatus based on an address table sent from a server andin which the content and address information of the informationacquisition apparatus are correlated with each other.
 76. Thereproducing method as set forth in claim 75, further comprising astorage step of storing an address table sent from the server.
 77. Thereproducing method as set forth in claim 76, further comprising stepsof: comparing update information for an address sent from the server andupdate information for an address table recorded in the storage step;requesting for operating sending request of an address table to theserver, based on the result of comparison of the comparison step; andupdating, in response to the sending request from the requesting step,an address table recorded in the storage step with an address table sentfrom the server.
 78. The reproducing method as set forth in claim 75,wherein a content recorded in a loaded recording medium is reproduced inthe reproducing step, and there is further included a step of recording,into the recording medium, the address table sent from the server and inwhich the content and address information of the information acquisitionapparatus are correlated with each other.
 79. The reproducing method asset forth in claim 78, further comprising a comparing step of comparingupdate information for the address table sent from the server and updateinformation for the address table recorded in the recording medium, andwherein an address table recorded in the recording medium is updatedwith an address table sent from the server according to the result ofcomparison of the comparison step.
 80. The reproducing method as setforth in claim 75, wherein in the reproducing step, there is reproduceda content recorded in a recording medium loaded therein; and wherein, inthe communication step, there are made data communications with theserver when the recording medium is loaded.
 81. The reproducing methodas set forth in claim 75, wherein in the communication step, datacommunications are made according to address information given in theaddress table before the reproduction of the content is started in thereproducing step.
 82. The reproducing method as set forth in claim 75,wherein in the communication step, data communications are made at anytime according to the address information correspondingly to thereproduced content after the reproduction of the content is started inthe reproducing step.
 83. The reproducing method as set forth in claim75, further comprising a detecting step of detecting operation controlinformation from the address table, and wherein the operation controlinformation detected in the detecting step is sent to the informationacquisition apparatus in the communication step.
 84. The reproducingmethod as set forth in claim 75, further comprising a pointer settingstep of setting a pointer for the address table with reference to thecurrent time.
 85. The reproducing method as set forth in claim 75,further comprising a detecting step of detecting output-processingidentification information from the address table, and wherein, in thedata output-processing step, the third data is produced based on boththe first data and the second data according to the output-processingidentification information.
 86. The reproducing method as set forth inclaim 75, wherein in the communication step, there is sent, to theserver, retrieval information according to which the server retrievesthe address table.
 87. The reproducing method as set forth in claim 86,wherein the retrieval information is ID information corresponding to thecontent.
 88. The reproducing method as set forth in claim 86, whereinthe retrieval information is a keyword corresponding to details of thecontent.
 89. The reproducing method as set forth in claim 86, whereinthe retrieval information is weather information corresponding todetails of the content.
 90. The reproducing method as set forth in claim67, further comprising a reading step of reading, from a loadedrecording medium, an address table in which the content and addressinformation of the information acquisition apparatus are correlated witheach other, and wherein, in the communication step, made datacommunications with the information acquisition apparatus is made basedon the address table read from the recording medium in the reading step.91. The reproducing method as set forth in claim 90, wherein in thereproducing step, the reproduction of the content is started after datacommunications are made according to address information given in theaddress table in the communication step.
 92. The reproducing method asset forth in claim 90, wherein in the communication step, datacommunications are made at any time according to the address informationcorrespondingly to the reproduced content after the reproduction of thecontent is started in the reproducing step.
 93. The reproducing methodas set forth in claim 90, further comprising a detecting step ofdetecting operation control information from the address table, andwherein, in the communication step, the operation control informationdetected by the detecting step is sent to the information acquisitionapparatus.
 94. The reproducing method as set forth in claim 90, furthercomprising a detecting step of detecting operation control informationincluded in a content reproduced in the reproducing step, and wherein,in the communication step, the operation control information detected inthe detecting step is sent to the information acquisition apparatus. 95.The reproducing method as set forth in claim 94, wherein: the content iscomposed of time-series data; and the operation control informationcorresponds to a segment defined by dividing the content at each lapseof a time.
 96. The reproducing method as set forth in claim 90, furthercomprising a pointer setting step of setting a pointer for the addresstable with reference to the current time.
 97. The reproducing method asset forth in claim 90, further comprising a step of detectingoutput-processing identification information included in the content; inthe data output-processing identification step, the third data isproduced based on both the first data and the second data according tothe output-processing identification information detected in thedetecting step.
 98. The reproducing method as set forth in claim 67,wherein in the communication step, data communications with a servercapable of communications are made via a communication network whilethere data communications with the information acquisition apparatus aremade under the control of the server.
 99. The reproducing method as setforth in claim 98, wherein in the reproducing step, a content recordedin a loaded recording means is reproduced; and wherein in thecommunication step, data communications with the server are made whenthe recording medium is loaded.
 100. The reproducing method as set forthin claim 98, wherein in the communication step, there is sent, to theserver, retrieval information according to which an address table isretrieved.
 101. The reproducing method as set forth in claim 100,wherein the retrieval information is ID information corresponding to thecontent.
 102. The reproducing method as set forth in claim 100, whereinthe retrieval information is the current time.
 103. The reproducingmethod as set forth in claim 100, wherein the retrieval information is akeyword corresponding to details of the content.
 104. The reproducingmethod as set forth in claim 100, wherein the retrieval information isweather information corresponding to details of the content.
 105. Areproducing system in which data communications can be done between areproducing apparatus and information acquisition apparatus, wherein:the reproducing apparatus includes: a reproducing means for reproducinga content; a communication means for making data communications with aninformation acquisition apparatus capable of communications via acommunication network; and a data output-processing means for producingthird data from first data reproduced by the reproducing means andsecond data supplied from the information acquisition apparatus, andoutputting the third data; and the information acquisition apparatusincludes: means for acquiring information; a communication means formaking data communications with the reproducing apparatus via acommunication network; and a control means for causing the communicationmeans to send information acquired by the information acquisition meansto the reproducing apparatus.
 106. The reproducing system as set forthin claim 105, wherein the reproducing means in the reproducing apparatusreproduces a content recorded in a recording medium loaded therein. 107.The reproducing system as set forth in claim 105, wherein thereproducing means in the reproducing apparatus reproduces a contentdownloaded via the communication network.
 108. The reproducing system asset forth in claim 105, wherein a plurality of information acquisitionapparatuses is provided as the information acquisition apparatus capableof data communications with the reproducing apparatus.
 109. Thereproducing system as set forth in claim 105, wherein datacommunications between the reproducing apparatus and informationacquisition apparatus are made based on an address table in which thecontent and address information of the information acquisition apparatusare correlated with each other.
 110. The reproducing system as set forthin claim 105, wherein the reproducing apparatus further comprises anoperating means for entering address information according to which thereproducing apparatus makes data communications with the informationacquisition apparatus.
 111. A reproducing system in which datacommunications can be made among a reproducing apparatus, informationacquisition apparatus and a server, wherein: the reproducing apparatusincludes: a reproducing means for reproducing a content; a communicationmeans for making data communications with an information acquisitionapparatus capable of communications via a communication network; and adata output-processing means for producing third data based on firstdata reproduced by the reproducing means and second data supplied fromthe information acquisition apparatus, and outputting the third data;the information acquisition apparatus includes: means for acquiringinformation; a communication means for making data communications withthe reproducing apparatus via a communication network; and a controlmeans for causing the communication means to send information acquiredby the information acquisition means to the reproducing apparatus; andthe server includes: a communication means for making datacommunications with a reproducing apparatus capable of datacommunications via a communication network; a storage means havingstored therein an address table in which a content reproducible by thereproducing apparatus and address information on an informationacquisition apparatus capable of data communications with thereproducing apparatus via a network are correlated with each other; anda control means for retrieving the address table according to retrievalinformation sent from the reproducing apparatus and causing thecommunication means to send the retrieved address table to thereproducing apparatus.
 112. The reproducing system as set forth in claim111, wherein the reproducing means in the reproducing apparatusreproduces a content recorded in a recording medium loaded therein. 113.The reproducing system as set forth in claim 111, wherein thereproducing means in the reproducing apparatus reproduces a contentdownloaded via the communication network.
 114. The reproducing system asset forth in claim 111, wherein a plurality of information acquisitionapparatuses is provided as the information acquisition apparatus capableof data communications with the reproducing apparatus.
 115. Thereproducing system as set forth in claim 111, wherein datacommunications between the reproducing apparatus and informationacquisition apparatus are made based on the address table.
 116. Areproducing system in which data communications can be made among areproducing apparatus, information acquisition apparatus and a server,wherein: the reproducing apparatus includes: a reproducing means forreproducing a content; a communication means for making datacommunications with an information acquisition apparatus capable ofcommunications via a communication network; and a data output-processingmeans for producing third data based on first data reproduced by thereproducing means and second data supplied from the informationacquisition apparatus, and outputting the third data; the informationacquisition apparatus includes: means for acquiring information; acommunication means for making data communications with the reproducingapparatus via a communication network; and a control means for causingthe communication means to send information acquired by the informationacquisition means to the reproducing apparatus; and the server includes:a communication means for making data communications with a reproducingapparatus capable of data communications via a communication network; astorage means having stored therein an address table in which a contentreproducible by the reproducing means and address information on aninformation acquisition apparatus capable of data communications withthe reproducing apparatus via a network are correlated with each other;and a control means for retrieving the address table according toretrieval information sent from the reproducing apparatus andcontrolling communications between the reproducing apparatus andinformation acquisition apparatus based on the retrieved address table.117. The reproducing system as set forth in claim 116, wherein thereproducing means in the reproducing apparatus reproduces a contentrecorded in a recording medium loaded therein.
 118. The reproducingsystem as set forth in claim 116, wherein the reproducing means in thereproducing apparatus reproduces a content downloaded via thecommunication network.
 119. The reproducing system as set forth in claim116, wherein a plurality of information acquisition apparatuses isprovided as the information acquisition apparatus capable of datacommunications with the reproducing apparatus.
 120. The reproducingsystem as set forth in claim 116, wherein the controlling means in theserver provides a control to make data communications between thereproducing apparatus and information acquisition apparatus based on theretrieved address table.
 121. A signal which carries a content, andinformation including link information according to which a reproducingapparatus going to reproduce the content accesses an informationacquisition apparatus corresponding to the content.
 122. A signal whichcarries a content, and information including output-processingidentification information indicating that all or a part of data formingthe content are outputted from a reproducing apparatus along with datacoming from a predetermined information acquisition apparatus.
 123. Asignal which carries a content, and information including operationcontrol information under which a reproducing apparatus going toreproduce the content controls operations of an information acquisitionapparatus corresponding to the content.
 124. A signal which carries acontent, and information including retrieval information according towhich a reproducing apparatus going to reproduce the content accesses aninformation acquisition apparatus corresponding to the content.